


A Lingering Touch

by Lucicelo



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Author!Hiroki, Books, Drama, False Accusations, Fantasy, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Kisses, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mystery, Novelist, Reincarnation, Romance, Scandal, Supernatural Elements, small town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 00:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2560757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucicelo/pseuds/Lucicelo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Throughout his years of working for Mitsuhashi, Kamijou Hiroki kept himself out of any problems. Keeping out of anyone's way worked to his advantage, normally he wasn't the sociable type, so staff members had nothing too bad to say about him. He didn't bother to talk to other professors half the time, the free time he had in between classes, he used to read or grade any papers before he left for the day. Most of them didn't have his love of books which had him speaking to them unless he had a reason. Although, he was certain the avoidance of the other professors painted an obnoxious persona to him anyway. Not that he cared when many of them just went for a paycheck and not to earnestly teach their students. He was there to work and spread his knowledge of literature. Having a social life wasn't the first priority in his list.

Despite the variety of students who couldn't care less about his teachings, he wanted to present his favorite authors in the most positive matter. Having open discussions about a certain passage and getting his students to share his passion for the written word was something he hoped happened in his classroom. But he noticed the eagerness students used to have in answering questions didn't transcend into university.

Then again, he used his own experience in his literature classes as an example. He was more than willing to give his own open discussion about a book in a heartbeat.

There was another assistant professor named Tsumori, who he remembered him from T University. They always clashed opinions with him whenever they got in the same room. Hiroki took it upon himself to ignore him but for some reason, the man pestered him any time he saw him. The importance of his career overshadowed any debate with someone he didn't get along with. When he found out he shared an office with Yoh Miyagi, he got the room at the end of the hall and it was far away from Tsumori.

Having to share an office with another established professor lessened their interactions. This made Hiroki's life at the university more tolerable, well less stressful. Despite the students lack of interest, he placed his focus on them. Giving them plenty of essays didn't kill him, reading the wrong interpretations and horrible grammar did.

Hiroki expected Professor Miyagi to seem cool and serious, considering he was a respected literature professor but he turned into this jokester. The disillusionment in his vision of this man shocked him but he quickly got over it. Their friendship gathered at a slow pace but Hiroki let Miyagi slightly get inside of his head. It was almost comparable to his friendship with Akihiko.

The timeline for his road to getting certified as a true professor was on the right course. He assumed it was on the right course due to Miyagi explaining how he got his place in Mitsuhashi through their conversations. Which presented him with a good road in what he had to accomplish and gathering more feedback in how he handled his class.

He had nothing to worry about, well, he thought nothing bad would happen to him.

When the secretary from the Dean's office called their phone. Hiroki was left stumped at the explanation she gave him when he talked to her. The vague words didn't provide any proper clues on why his presence was required.

Hiroki put his bag on his shoulder as he rubbed his temples. The timing to go to the Dean's office wasn't favorable, he was in the middle of grading papers and in half an hour he had to give a lecture.

Miyagi dismissed his fears with his usual lame jokes. He had an encouraging smile on his face as he lightly pushed him out of their office.

Hiroki had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Putting on a strong front, he hurried over to Dean Takatsuki's office before the man thought he didn't consider this meeting important enough to hurry.

* * *

Sitting in front of Dean Takatsuki, Hiroki fiddled with his fingers in nervousness. The Dean's body language and overall demeanor wasn't giving him a positive picture. Maybe his performance wasn't up to standards or the scores of his students revealed a lack in his teaching ability. On his last review, his report specified there was nothing to complain about in his teaching methods. No other reasons entered his mind, he drew a blank on any possible reasons for his presence.

When he knocked on the door, he was only told to sit down and close the door. His boss sneaked glances at him while he held a large manila envelope in his hands. Whatever was in that envelope might end his whole career and he didn't know what was in there. This made him more anxious than he already felt.

Hiroki tried avoiding his eyes, he didn't want to stare at the envelope that might end his teaching career or send him to some program to improve his teaching skills. He successfully tutored students who flourished in high end universities in the past. It wasn't his fault that his stricter regimen of teaching wasn't what the students expected when they entered his class. He warned them in the first week so they had a chance to drop out of his class.

The sound of a cough broke the silence.

Hiroki turned his eyes toward his boss, who held the manila envelope to his chest. He saw the dean's name on the front and another note which read: "Open immediately."

"Do you know why I have called you here?"

Hiroki shook his head. "No. Your secretary only told me to come."

"I see." Takatsuki opened the envelope and took out a stack of papers, keeping them from Hiroki's view. "In this university, I have not had a single problem with my staff since I first took this position." Hiroki knew this already but didn't voice it. "And I will keep problems out of my university until I retire."

"I understand but what does that have to do with me?"

The older man presented Hiroki pictures of him in compromising positions with a high school student. He didn't have enough time to register anything before the images were removed from his face. Takatsuki crossed his arms over his chest in disapproval while leaning against his desk.

Hiroki's mind was on overdrive. He didn't understand how he was in those images and the mystery girl didn't register as anyone he knew in his life. He had plenty of cousins who were clingy and grabbed an arm while he met with them at times but none of them wore a public high school uniform. To his knowledge, all of them were in private high schools. He thought this was a sick joke. Almost assuming this was a dream, he pinched his hand. He thought he would wake up in his bed without such an awful claim against him. Nothing happened.

"I can't have such a scandal coming through this university, Kamijou." Dean Takatsuki said, he threw the printed pictures on his desk. "

Hiroki clenched his jaw, not trusting himself to say anything to defend himself. An idea came into his head on why this happened, someone was framing him. Yet, this person didn't know him very well. His interest swayed to men, not women, especially those who were in high school.

He didn't recognize the student and he never got a good look at her face. From the quick presentation the Dean showed him before taking the pictures back from his face, the details were fuzzy in his mind. All that stood out was the public high school uniform.

Fighting back and claiming he was innocent wouldn't look good on his credibility. Accepting the accusation ruined any chance at finding work in another university. Either way, he buried himself with the presence of the evidence which came from that manila envelope.

All of his investment in becoming a professor crumbled before his eyes. He felt his hands trembling in anger of this accusation.

Gripping his hands to stop the shivers, Hiroki flinched slightly when his nail dug into his skin. He knew he had to defend himself but from the disgusted look on Dean Takatsuki's face, he had no chance.

Hiroki relaxed his face enough to open his mouth to speak. "I already know you won't hear my explanation because your mind is already made up."

The man started to explain. "The evidence is quite clea-"

"Then _fire_  me." Hiroki glanced at the low quality paper, glaring at the pile. "There is no point in arguing. I already know you won't change your perspective because of these claims. Besides, I can always get someone else to prove my innocence."

Seeing the signs of a possible lawsuit, Takatsuki said. "You don't need to sue us, the evidence will bounce back at you."

"Who said anything about suing you?" Hiroki inquired as he stared up at him with an arched brow. "I just said I had someone who might send someone to come help my case. Rest assured, a big scandal through a lawsuit will gather bad results on both ends."

The Dean nodded his head stiffly. "It's good that you realize the gravity of this situation. Pack your things and leave the premises." He turned his back to Hiroki and placed his focus on the window.

Hiroki grabbed his bag, stood up, and pushed the chair behind him. He only knew one person who could help him and his pride took a hit in admitting he needed his help. He never asked his father for  _any_  type of help after he left home but he had no choice.

Glancing at the papers with the photos on the desk, he held back his tears of anger as he left the room. Closing the door behind him, he left the university.

He didn't want any of his ex-students to witness his walk of shame out of the place.

* * *

Soshi pushed up his glasses as Hiroki ended his tale. Letting out a deep sigh, he leaned back in his chair while he stared at his son. The manner Hiroki's boss dismissed him without investigating everything with some help from the police was sloppy. Whenever someone in his company did anything wrong, he went through every single measure to check for any evidence and testimony from anyone who witnessed anything the person was accused of doing. The last thing he needed was problems from an ex employee after termination.

He watched his son's distressed face, the manner he tried controlling the volume of his voice. Hiroki had fought him on continuing his love for literature when he informed him the major he picked when he entered university. Honestly, he wished Hiroki inherited his company but he realized his son's place resided in books. Forcing him to take over his business would drive all of his hard work into the ground.

Besides, he warmed up to the idea when Hiroki got that assistant professor position. The determination and drive he had when he worked appeared in Hiroki's eyes.

After this hidden scandal, Hiroki couldn't go back to apply for any more teaching positions if Mitsuhashi placed him in a blacklist. He was sure there was one shared in between all the universities in Japan just to keep any unworthy professors away from their pristine universities.

Leaning back in his chair, Soshi ignored a call from his cell phone, keeping his eyes on his son. "I will call my lawyer so she can talk to the police. Just keep a low profile while they settle this whole debacle." Soshi told Hiroki while he silenced his cell phone and placed it on his desk.

Hiroki nodded his head slowly. "So..you believe me right? I don't need to explain everything again?"

Soshi stared at him with an arched brow. "Of course I believe you. The moment you told me the evidence placed you in a relationship with a  _woman,_  I knew they could be easily dismissed through the investigation."

Hiroki had already told his parents of his preference toward men when he was in high school. Now that was the _most_ distressing thing he had ever done in his whole life. They were the most important people in the world to him. There was no big reaction from his parents, Hiroki suspected they figured it out on their own and only waited for him to tell them.

"There will be some discretion right? I don't need anyone else to think I am capable of doing something like this."

"Yes. Motou's contacts won't make a big fuss over the whole process. They will grab the evidence themselves from your ex-boss before anything else." Soshi checked the clock on his desk. "This will happen in the morning once I call them when you leave."

Hiroki let out a deep sigh. "I honestly don't know how this happened. I made sure to keep myself away from people to prevent getting a target on my back."

Soshi tapped his fingers on his desk. "You were seen as a threat, Hiroki. I had my share of attempted blackmail when I started getting into the family business. It's nothing new."

Hiroki frowned. "I am not in business, father. I am an assistant professor in  _literature._ "

" _EX_  assistant professor." Hiroki glared at his father. "Get used to the fact that you are not working in that field anymore. You are blacklisted by this dismissal alone and when this investigation is done they might take you off this list. You might not want to teach there again after all of this is over."

"Then what am I supposed to do for work? If you think I will start working for you, you are sorely mistaken."

Soshi rolled his eyes, he told Hiroki with a smirk on his face. "I don't want dead weight in my office."

"Father!"

"Calm down, son, I am only teasing." Soshi interlaced his fingers together on his lap.

"Yeah right.." Hiroki muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, I have some money saved up to last me for a while. I might have to downgrade to a much smaller apartment.."

Soshi kept back a comment in Hiroki coming back home but his stubborn son would never agree to such a thing. Knowing he had some money saved up took away some of his worries, Hiroki won't starve during this forced vacation.

A buzz came from the office phone when Soshi pressed the button. "Yes?"

His secretary told him.  **"Kamijou-san, Akiyama-san is here for his meeting with you."**

"Thank you, once Hiroki leaves my office send him in." Soshi informed her, he turned to Hiroki. "Don't worry about a thing, son. I will make sure this will all settle down and your name won't be tarnished." He stood up, Hiroki followed suit as they both walked toward the door.

Hiroki awkwardly reached out his arms and wrapped them around his father. Soshi stared down at Hiroki in shock, Hiroki had not hugged him in the a longest time. The only other person Hiroki held was his mother, who never let Hiroki leave without her embrace.

Soshi patted Hiroki's hair down. "Son?" He inquired in a soft voice.

"Thank you...thank you for helping me, father." Hiroki choked out, he let his fear come out for the first time in years. "I almost didn't think you would..."

Soshi wrapped his arms tight around him and told him. "It's no problem at all. You are my only child after all."

* * *

Hiroki sat in the middle of his living room with a red pen in his mouth. Papers scattered all over the floor, plenty of them had an 'x' over a place Hiroki didn't think suited him. Either they needed repairs or were too old-fashioned for his taste. Slowly growing aggravated, Hiroki stood up, walked to his fridge and took out a beer. His frown grew deeper when he saw his almost vacant fridge, he needed to move out soon. He didn't want to stay in this city anymore.

His best bet was moving back with his parents which was something he didn't want to do. Sure, he loved his parents but after leaving home, he had no strong feelings in going back. There was an occasional visit to talk about what had happened in their lives and maybe have dinner. After getting used to living alone all this time, he didn't want to explain himself if he ever returned late from anywhere he went.

Suddenly, Hiroki remembered that his grandfather left him a property in the countryside. He grimaced, he wasn't sure of the conditions of the place and he never got an actual photograph when he was handed the will in high school. He gave the will to his parents for safe keeping since his home was usually filled to the brink with books, he would have lost it himself.

He had no choice in the matter, it helped that he used to help his maternal grandparents in their farm during the summer. Besides, he wasn't a total city boy, he could handle himself in the countryside.

Taking a swig of his beer, he walked back to his spot on the living room floor. He stared down at the papers and knew the will of that property meant he wouldn't have to pay rent. All he had to do was set up the gas and water for the place before he left Tokyo.

Having the place in almost the middle of nowhere meant he wouldn't have to deal with any awful neighbors. He was certain many of the people he met as a teen still lived there. If not, then his books would remain his company. His books had never betrayed him once and the serenity of the close forests might calm him down.

"This means I have fetch the deed tomorrow...just great." He rubbed his temples as he gathered all of these papers for the recycling later on in the week. "Then the rental of the car too, whatever, at least I won't have to worry about paying for a new place."

He placed all of the papers in one bag while he stared at the daunting task of packing all of his books. A feeling of dread went through him, he might need to pay extra money for these heavy books he had in his collection.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Akihiko lit up another cigarette after he snuffed out the shorter one he finished inside of his panda ashtray. He ignored the glare Hiroki directed his way over his tobacco habit. There was no way he was quitting cold turkey any time soon, he had grown used to it after so many years of doing it. It helped with some of the stresses he had in his life as an author, Aikawa had to think those sticks for making him tolerate her when she went into one of her many rants. Besides, most of the people he knew in his life smoked, one of the few exceptions sat in front of him.

He put away his lighter while he hooked a leg over his other leg and relaxed against his sofa. Watching Hiroki taking a gulp of the green tea he prepared, he saw him wincing and glanced down at the cup in his hands. Akihiko knew his tea making skills were lackluster but he didn't see the need for Hiroki to show his displeasure. It was only polite to mask the fact it didn't taste too good. Honestly, he didn't care, at least Hiroki didn't suck up to him like most people in his life.

Maybe this was the time to put in his old suggestion from when they graduated high school. For Hiroki to submit his works to his publishing house and cease the fight for his old job when his talents were wasted on them. He believed Hiroki had amazing writing talent, despite Hiroki's criticisms and lack of confidence, his friend had amazing ideas to share with the world. Having sneaked peeks at Hiroki's creative writing in high school and university, he didn't want him to push away a good opportunity. He wouldn't even need to put his own name on the books, he could always put in a pseudonym in replacement of his name.

Akihiko let out a long puff of smoke when he commented. "I told you continuing that job would bite you in the ass one day." He never understood why Hiroki took on teaching people when the man hated interaction with most of the general population. "Hell, working for your father would have been better for you. Something I would  _never_ do in my life. I left that shit to Haruhiko, he isn't completely incompetent."

Hiroki picked up a manila envelope on the coffee table, "Shut up." He reached over the table and hit Akihiko on the shoulder. "I was doing really well at my job Akihiko."

Akihiko smirked. "Oh yes, considering how I got word of your  _demon_  status from the rumor mill in between the students."

"There are  _harder_  professors at Mitsuhashi, I was helping them prepare for the work load when they took on those classes." Hiroki huffed. "Some students even come back to thank me for my strict regimen so it was worth it." He saw Akihiko's questioning gaze. "Those students exist! Besides, the ones who failed my class wasted their money when they didn't quit before the deadline."

Akihiko shrugged his shoulders. "Either way, you worked yourself ragged for not a lot of pay. Half the time you complained about the stresses of your job, Hiroki."

"I know but everyone complains about their job." Hiroki glanced at him. "You complain about your job as an author."

"Only because I don't like going to the events to promote my work that is the job of the publishing house." Akihiko explained. "Having to explain my book so many times gets tiring after a while. For some reason, people actually like me to buy them apparently."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "You painted a smooth persona of an author, if they knew who you really were they wouldn't be buying your shit."

"Well, it's shit that is making me money." He winked at Hiroki. "You are the one who first said I had the talent for writing back then."

"And where it has gotten you, an inflated ego the size of Japan."

"Why thank you."

Hiroki scoffed. "You seriously don't take anything seriously don't you?"

"Of course I don't, but I am pissed that someone got you fired over whatever issue they had with you." Akihiko said as he tapped the end of his cigarette in the ash tray. "Besides, whoever tried it will regret it. Your father won't let them get away with this. If there is one thing I can respect about your old man, it's the fact he is ruthless when it comes to someone coming after his family."

Hiroki arched a brow. "You should try saying that to my father, he might actually have some nice things to say about you for once."

"Nope, I know he likes me, he just doesn't know it yet."

"Whatever,"

"Anyway, I warned you that teaching wasn't for you. Just because some of the kids you tutored weren't so bad doesn't mean the rest would be the same." Akihiko took a long drag and blew it out of his thin lips. "Being an editor or a writer suits you  _way_ more."

Hiroki tossed the envelope in his hands on the table. "Akihiko...my writing isn't up to par with yours, I can't do it." There was one thing he admitted to himself, it was that he had no confidence in his writing.

Akihiko rolled his eyes. "Hiroki, you have a talent for writing just like I do. I wouldn't be pushing you so hard if I didn't believe in you. Besides, the guy who looked at your writing when we were in university was a jealous twit. He failed in the industry after signing up his little girlfriend who demanded to get in without the writing talent."

"He  _failed_?" Hiroki placed the back of his hand to his lips to hold back his chortle.

"See? That means he was a hack and I was right on the status of your writing ability." Akihiko smiled lightly. "I still have a copy of an old creative writing assignment you did in university. I can send it to Aikawa when she comes around today to check up on my work. Who knows, she might sign you up on the spot after showing it to Isaka."

Hiroki contemplating giving Akihiko permission in sending in a piece of his old work to Aikawa. Although, it was odd that Akihiko was  _asking_  him before even submitting anything. Maybe, Akihiko did have confidence in him and wanted him to agree before he took on turning into an author for a full time job. He had to admit, he imagined life as an author but his path as a literature professor put a full stop to it. The workload prevented any free writing time unless he lessened the assignments which he didn't think was possible.

He had a list of ideas in a file in his laptop, a file he stopped opening after his life grew more hectic from his homework load. Oddly enough, he had gotten some fresh ideas throughout the year. It was probably a sign to attempt writing his ideas but something always blocked his path. The moment he left his own thought process, he felt excited at the prospect of actually writing something.

Looking up, Akihiko waited for his answer.

Hiroki gulped, he had nothing to lose. Taking this chance would help generate some income when he moved to the countryside. Besides, he didn't think he would find work in the town his grandfather kept his home, the locals held most of the positions anyway.

"Alright."

Akihiko grinned. "I knew you would agree, I will show her the copies I have in my old papers. You won't regret it."

* * *

Fuyumi held Hiroki tight in her arms as she rubbed circles on his back. Even though Hiroki didn't show his emotions very often, she knew her son well enough that he got it all out when he returned home or hid in a private location. After hearing what happened to him, she didn't understand how no one noticed her son didn't give a look toward women. Then again, Hiroki wasn't the social type, no one would have noticed anything different if they didn't spent a lot of time with him. She was sure Hiroki would find something else in his life which wouldn't give him a lot of stress. Living in her father's old home might help him, she took note of Hiroki's relaxed behavior after he returned from the countryside in the summer.

A breath of fresh air in a new location was something Hiroki deserved. This oncoming hidden investigation wouldn't help him relax. Hiroki made sure he was busy through his job or reading new books, a stress releasing place wasn't a bad thing for him. Besides, the truth this so called 'scandal' would come out and Hiroki might remain in the countryside at the end of everything. The distance didn't unsettle her, she traveled back home due to school in the city.

Hiroki closed his eyes as he let his mother coddle him, well holding him in her arms. He was just glad she didn't go overboard in trying to make him feel better. Although, she never made a huge deal out of anything unless it angered her. He assured her when he finished explaining the situation and why he needed the deed to his grandfather's home. His decision to live in the countryside was not a spur of the moment thing. Not when he left everyone he knew and would only get in communication through his cell phone or the house phone he needed to connect.

A slight feeling of anxiousness passed through him, remembering Akihiko's promise at giving his old work to Aikawa made his heart race. The last time someone read his work, he accepted the criticism and applied it to his work. The matter the criticism was given to him made him want to prove the man wrong. According to Akihiko, his career was down the shitter so he might have a chance this time.

Hiroki muttered. "You can let go of me now."

Fuyumi loosened her grip, Hiroki took a step back from her arms. "You should know better than to expect me to let you come back home without a hug."

Hiroki's lips quirked up. "Of course, I don't expect anything less from you."

Fuyumi took a step back as she stared right up at him. "I know it must have been hard asking your father for help." Fuyumi commented. "He will make sure everything is fixed."

Hiroki rubbed the back of his neck, his mother knew him better than anyone. "Yes...although I can't stay in the city, the rent of the apartment will drain my savings quickly. At least the house grandfather left me would help cut down the expenses I have."

"And you said that house wouldn't be useful for you in the future." She chastised him. "You need to ask for your grandfather's forgiveness when you visit his grave. He really took you into consideration when he planned who to leave his possessions to. He never trusted anyone else with his home when he put in so much effort in making sure it was intact after all of these years."

"I know." Hiroki said in shame. "Don't worry, once I settle down at the house I will go visit him. I don't want him coming after me as a ghost because I kept disrespecting his house."

Fuyumi snickered. "It would be exactly like him if he came back." She reached in the pocket of her kimono and took out the deed. "I'm sure he left some furniture for you to use but my brothers probably took everything from the house to sell." She handed Hiroki the deed. "If you need any help and can't reach us here at home, I'm sure the nearest neighbor will agree to help you."

Hiroki held the deed in a light grip. "I rarely talk to new people unless it's absolutely necessary so there is no way I will be talking to the locals there."

"At least let them know someone is living in your grandfather's house. A lot of them already know he has passed and might think the house is abandoned at this point." Hiroki groaned. "They will assume you were a city boy all your life so don't take anything they say to heart."

"Oh yes, they won't after I chew them off for  _not_  minding their own business." Hiroki scoffed. "Mom, I will be fine. I didn't spent all of those summers with grandfather just so I could ask the people there for help on everything going on in the house."

"Of course," She told him. "Just call us more often this time, Hiro-chan." Fuyumi teased him as she patted his shoulder. "Are you sure you don't need us to help you clean the house?"

Hiroki shook his head. "I'll be fine, grandfather kept the place spotless when he was still alive if I remember correctly. So it might just be a lot of dust covering the whole place or those dumb talismans he taped on the outside."

"That's true," Fuyumi stood against the front door when she said. "Remember never to peel those off, it was one of the clauses of owning that house."

"Yeah I know," Hiroki frowned. "What were those things for anyway?"

"It was mostly because of an old superstition in keeping demons out of the house. I would have to say it was give us all a peace of mind since the house was located in the middle of a forest area of the town." Fuyumi explained. "Although, father kept a few extra talismans in each of the rooms, they are so small you won't even notice them."

Hiroki sighed. "I never took him as a superstitious man but alright, I won't  _ever_ remove any of them from the house."

"Good," She grinned as she gave him one last hug. "When are you leaving the city?"

Hiroki responded. "In a few days, I have to finish packing everything and make sure the movers don't leave anything behind. I'm probably going to use some of my savings to buy a car, there is no way I am using a bicycle."

Fuyumi let go of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "You need to get over this dislike of bicycles, I already know you won't use that car very often."

"I might use it for traveling around, you never know I might actually leave the house."

Fuyumi held back a laugh. "Yeah right," She winked at him before she patted his shoulders. "I'll see you soon,"

"I'll see you soon, mom."

* * *

Hiroki sat against the wall of his unfurnished apartment while he held his cell phone to his ear. He nodded his head as he listened to Aikawa while she talked to him about the pieces Akihiko gave her. He didn't expect Akihiko to have handed her a pile of short stories, some of which, he didn't finish or were used for assignments in school. A good portion were fantasy or horror since his professor who taught his creative writing class had a good time scaring herself with the stories her students turned in. Although, the professor was pretty lenient in her grading, she always had a positive remark for him in the last page of his story.

A smile graced his face, excitement and pride filled his body over hearing his work wasn't all for nothing. He might actually make a career out of his passion for books and he didn't see the downsides to continuing on this path. Memories of Akihiko's cranky face when he finished a novel appeared in his mind, for such a creative mind, the man finished his work late. Although, in recent years, Akihiko had improved his track record.

He pulled his legs up to his chest with one arm while he stared at the boxes piling the room across from him. If this all panned out to his favor, he was seriously thanking Akihiko when he saw him again. Well, after he settled everything he had to do at his new home.

 **"I loved your work Kamijou-san! Why didn't you show me your stuff earlier?"** Aikawa raved through the phone. " **Sensei gave me a collection of your short stories and I have to say, they are amazing. It's no wonder he has you look at his work before he submits it to us, you have a way with words."**

"Uh...thank you." He honestly didn't know what else to tell her.

**"Please tell me you have some ideas for a full length novel because after I showed your work to Isaka he was impressed."**

"Yes, I do." Hiroki answered. "I have them on my laptop and I can probably give you an idea once I look through them. Do you need a synopsis on one of my new ideas right now?"

**"It's quite alright, we already have an idea with what to do with your short stories once you sign up with our publishing company. I can always come over with the paperwork Isaka is in the process of preparing for you. He knows you will sell just as many books as Usami-sensei in no time."**

"You already have an idea on what to do with them?" Hiroki inquired with surprise. "I would've thought you wanted something new out of me before signing me up."

**"From the work we have read from you, all they need is some polishing and they will be packed together. But I noticed some of them didn't have an ending, they cut off in the middle or left the problem unsolved. Do you think you can complete them?"**

"I think I still have the original files in my laptop somewhere and I can find the ones I know for sure are not finished yet. Then, you can read them again and tell me if they will be in this collection you are talking about."

 **"That would be perfect, thank you!"**  Aikawa told him, Hiroki heard the enthusiasm in her voice.  **"Now, will you stay in one genre or will you branch out into different ones? It is always good to know beforehand so we can plan out the promotion for the releases when you complete your work."**

Hiroki contemplated it for a moment before he answered. "I might stay in the same genre for a while but I won't know for sure until I get a new idea. In the meantime, I know I will stay clear of writing any romance novels, that might come out later."

**"This sounds perfect. Now do you have any questions?"**

"I was wondering...can I change my name for these books? I don't want to use my real name." Hiroki asked her, they spent the rest of the phone call trying to settle a location for him to meet her at before he moved out to his new home.

She didn't voice her displeasure that he was moving away from the city. Thankfully, she didn't ask about his old job or why Akihiko now insisted in checking out his writing. Her professionalism showed through the call while they slowly transitioned on some other topics which didn't relate to books.

All in all, Hiroki knew this new chapter in life was going in the right direction.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.

Hiroki got out of his rental car as he stared at the old style home. Gripping the strap of his travel bag, he let out a sigh. The ripped and waterlogged talismans had turned somewhat yellow from the last time he spent time in this place. The exterior of the house was worse than he imagined. For a moment, he thought he stopped at the wrong house. Until, he saw those ridiculous talismans and he groaned. He scrunched up his face, he wanted to rip those things off of the walls but it was in the will that he didn't disturb anything left behind in the fine print. Talismans and charms included.

Before he left the city, he made sure that the electricity, gas, and water was turned on at the house before he left Tokyo. Having his new address on hand, he told them all of his new information while he finished packing the last of his possessions in boxes. His books had special care when they were placed in their multiple boxes. The moving company had the option of packaging his belongings but he wanted to do it himself.

Suddenly, living a distance away from the town didn't sound so bad. Remembering back when he was a child, his grandfather had constant company who probably questioned the abundance of talismans. Living in a small town brought on some superstitions that Hiroki never cared to understand since he never encountered a ghost in his life. His old acquaintances claimed such things but he knew they pushed it up for attention.

The sad state of the outside disguised the interior of the house. Hiroki knew for a fact that his grandfather wasn't lazy in keeping his floors and his pluming in top shape. He didn't know if he needed to replace some of his grandfather's old appliances before winter came around. Although, he heard from his mother that her brothers sold all of the big furniture so they wouldn't gather dust. Some appliances remained, he might have to replace those outdated models.

Taking his phone from his pocket, he checked his phone and saw no missed calls from anyone. He saw a text from Akihiko. Postponing his answer for later, he assumed it was a question for research. Honestly, Akihiko had the internet, he didn't need to ask him disturbing questions. Such a lazy ass. When his possessions were safely inside of his new home, then he would answer his friend.

Observing the whole surrounding area from his spot near the car, he felt a chill go up his spine.

He didn't know the countryside got so chilly in the autumn.. His time in the city sensitized his usual tough skin.

Setting down his travel bag onto the ground, he rubbed his forearms.

The moving truck parked a little bit away from the home and a burly man hopped out of the truck with a map in his hands. Hiroki kept his eyes on him while he stood beside his rental car and waited for him to come to him. After everything was packed inside of the old place he would go pay his respects to his grandfather.

He didn't think to buy some incense or even flowers to place on his grave when he left Tokyo. The old man probably wouldn't care since some of his old family members still remained in the town so they could put those items on his grave.

The lead man of the moving company walked up to him. "This is the Kannou house, right?" The man inquired as he pocketed his map inside of his pockets.

"Technically, it is now Kamijou but I gave your company my grandfather's surname." Hiroki answered while he crouched down to his travel bag and took out the keys to the property. "I'll open up the place and you can just set the boxes in the living room."

The man nodded his head. "Alright," As he walked away Hiroki heard him grumbling about the unnecessary amount of book the man possessed.

Hiroki rolled his eyes. These men must have carried much heavier things than his books throughout their job. There was no need to complain. He carried all of those boxes in a nice pile so they would know which ones were the heaviest. Despite his lack of exercise, his arms didn't strain one bit.

He picked up his travel back as he went toward the house and opened the front floor. The slight gaps in the curtains provided some light on the inside. He groaned at the dust which accumulated after so many years. Reaching out his hand, he wiped away the layer of dust on top of the shoe rack. Regretting his mother's request for help, the rest of the afternoon would be spent cleaning.

"Damn it." Wiping his hand on his dark pants, he tried to pat away the access dirt left on the material.

Behind him, he heard the men coming along. He moved out of the way at the front door and waited for them to get near the door before he said anything.

"Don't worry about changing socks." Hiroki told them, the lead man gave him a questioning look.

"Why is that?"

Hiroki turned on the lights near the front door and the movers who stood next to him saw the abundance of dust. "You'll only ruin your socks if you come into this dust filled place."

"Well shit," The leader scratched the back of his neck. "We can't just come in there with our shoes on, you do understand this, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Hiroki checked the large cubbard on the other side of the shoe rack and there was whole pile of slippers. "Problem solved. Just wear these slippers."

Some of them stared at them with hesitation but there was no other option. They changed out of their shoes and put on the slippers. Hiroki already had his own pair which he had in his travel bag. He took them out and swapped his shoes with them. Placing them on the shoe rack he explored the house.

He started opening the curtains of the living room to let more light inside of the place. His caught onto the small charms attached to the rods. Poking at them with his index finger, he heard a slight chime coming from them. Well, at least he would know where some noises came from in the middle of the night. He didn't get easily scared but sometimes his mind wandered the worst conclusion at times during the dark.

Wandering back to the front, he instructed the movers to place his things in the living room he just came out of. They took the larger objects into the room first as Hiroki went up the stairs to the second floor. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light as he walked down the hall and saw his grandfather's room at the end of the long hallway.

He wasn't going in there. It felt wrong taking over the room of his grandfather who only ever let him go in there to retrieve anything he needed. Instead, he settled in opening the doors of the other rooms of that floor and found his old room. Well, it originally belonged to his mother and it passed onto him whenever he visited.

It wasn't in too bad of a shape. Just some deep cleaning and he could sleep in there without a problem. He groaned when he saw another charm on the curtain rod.

"Did he have to place them in  _every_  single room in this house? " Hiroki left the door open as he walked back down the stairs and went toward the kitchen. "I'm used to those damn talismans not these chime things."

A young man walked toward Hiroki when he asked him. "Do you need us to move any of your furniture in certain areas?"

Hiroki shook his head. "It's fine, I have to clean all of the house anyway."

After everything was placed in the living room, the movers left the house. Hiroki handed the lead mover a good sized tip to divide between all of the other movers who came along with him. They expressed their thanks before they left in their moving van as Hiroki looked over his shoulder. He groaned as he looked at the dust. Knowing full well that wishing wouldn't get it to disappear, he needed to start cleaning.

A few seconds passed as Hiroki closed the door to the place. He locked it, walking away in a fast pace. Visiting his grandfather sounded so amazing at the moment. Yes, looking at a gravestone was better than sneezing over dust for a few hours.

* * *

Walking through the rows of graves, Hiroki noticed all of the fresh flowers, the clean slates, and the scent of incense filled the air.

Sounds of his sneakers crunching the leaves under his feet and the chirping birds, reached his ears. Wrapping his sweater sound his body even tighter, he read the names of the headstones and tried remembering the ones before he reached his grandfather. At times, he had to squint due to his bad eyesight but the names were clear to him. He sighed when a shiver went through his spine, the weather grew colder the more he walked deeper into the cemetery.

He had not visited his grandfather's grave since he passed many years ago. There was no thrill in talking to the plot of a dead man but he knew some superstitions held up for a reason. He didn't want to risk having a dream of his grandfather beating him up with a wad of newspaper. This was something he always remembered him doing whenever he got in trouble. At least it was behind closed doors and not in front of people. It sounded laughable but it was better than a wooden cane to the ass.

Hiroki spotted the grave to his right. He saw a bushels of flowers on each side and a closed container of his grandfather's favorite food in the middle. Stopping in front of it, he crouched down and brushed away some of the loose petals that fell from the flowers. He might have to bring some flowers sometime in the week before he really settled into his new home.

He could imagine his grandfather, Toshio Kanno, smirking in the afterlife. Stroking his grey beard while holding up a cup of medicinal green tea which reeked of herbs. Hiroki didn't understand how he managed to keep the stuff down without gagging.

"You got your fucking wish old man, I am going to live in your house." Hiroki cleared his throat. "Thanks for giving it to me...I didn't think I would actually need it due to my job in the city. I heard from mother that you called it a useless occupation but I did great at it thank you very much. Don't worry about it getting destroyed, I know how much it meant to you. Hell, you might come after me in spirit or in my dreams to beat me with a newspaper."

Rubbing his hands on his jeans, a feeling came on his shoulder and he stiffened. His eyes widened, he tried to remain calm as he read the name Toshio Kanno. Peeking from the corner of his eyes, he didn't see anything on his shoulder. He swore he felt someone's hand applying pressure, almost in a comforting gesture. It couldn't be his grandfather. The man never patted shoulders, his thing was ruffling his hair as if he was a child. If anything, he was kidding about coming back as a spirit. Not that he believed in the supernatural  _that_  much. Also, he heard no one walking through the cemetery.

Standing up on his feet, he turned around and saw no one behind him. Observing the area, he didn't catch anyone sneaking away or any suspicious activity around the other graves. A shiver went through his spine.

"Fuck," Hiroki laughed nervously. "I must be tired, I am imagining shit that is not there."

Gazing down at his grandfather's tombstone, he bit his bottom lip. Nerves traveled through his body which made his hands shiver. He shoved them in his pockets. He took in a deep breath and then released in a slow pace.

"Well..." Hiroki gulped as he averted his eyes. "I'll bring some flowers next time I visit...bye."

Hiroki hurried along the long path and stared back at the tomb one more time just to reassure himself. His jaw dropped when he saw a long haired man standing right in front of his grandfather's grave. He froze on the spot. The stranger waved at him, the gold bangles on his wrist clanged at the movement but Hiroki didn't hear anything. Hiroki's attention went to what was on the man's head. It seemed like he had a necklace on his head with a clear teardrop type pendant in the middle of his forehead.

When he averted his eyes from the item, his eyes connected with the man's deep blue eyes. A nagging feeling crept on him, he didn't know whether to fear the man or not. He had not noticed him in the vicinity or heard him coming toward the grave. He was certain he didn't stand beside him when he looked around. His hand twitched as he broke eye contact. He gritted his teeth as he took off running.

He missed the solemn expression on the stranger's face. His blue eyes stayed on Hiroki's form as he ran away.

* * *

Hiroki came to a stop when he made it near the main town. He took in gulps of air, his body slightly crouched to regain his breath. He hesitated in looking back again and he saw no indication that the man followed after him. One thing was for sure, there was no way a man that big walked through the cemetery without making any sort of noise. The abundance of dried leaves would have crunched under his feet and the stone walkways made noise no matter what shoes anyone wore. His face paled. Shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts of witnessing something paranormal, his rational side kicked in. His distraction in focusing on his grandfather made sure he didn't focus on his surroundings. Yeah, that had was the answer.

He had no belief in the paranormal. Sure, he read about it on a sudden kick when he attended high school. Talk of ghosts surfaced as a popular topic on the student body. Most of them took it upon themselves to enter haunted hospitals or any buildings rumored to have spirits. He kept himself out of such things. His logical side kicked in but also his grandparents stories on treating the dead with respect. It was best to leave such things alone and to not poke fun. Awful things happened to people who messed with spirits, they understood nothing on the effects of their interference.

Although, Hiroki always wondered how his grandparents had such in depth information. It shouldn't have surprised him. The older generation had stories to last for weeks and their belief in keeping the peace in their towns kept these stories alive. He could argue that in the past the death rate and weather differed from the current time. How people prayed and gave offerings for the littlest problems. Plentiful harvest or to stop harsh storms in certain seasons.

Hiroki rubbed his temples. No use pondering about such myths. All he would attain is a headache from all of the possible spirits Japan had on the list.

Standing upright, Hiroki controlled himself. He stared his surroundings to know where exactly he ended up at. The familiar buildings clicked into place. Recognizing the bakery and the small bookstore, he resumed walking through the main road in the town. Sparse amount of people wandered around the town. Many housewives, some small children holding onto their skirts. He realized vacation time for the older children didn't come for a good while. No wonder he saw no older children running around the place.

He located the general store, hurrying inside, he went straight to the cleaning supplies. Grabbing what he needed, he went toward the pre-made food boxes. Looking down at his arms, he sighed, he couldn't balance everything at the same time. He went near one of the registers, he placed them on the ground and hurried back to the food. He got enough to last him for a few days. Most of the boxes he picked at random. Placing everything at the register, the cashier gave him a smile.

"I have never seen you before, are you here visiting someone?"

Hiroki shook his head. "No, I just moved here today."

"Really? I haven't heard from anyone in town that there was anyone new coming in."

Hiroki kept a comment on how bored these people must be to gossip about anything as he shrugged his shoulders. He added in some cans of green tea which were located behind him. He wasn't about to eat his food without something to drink.

"I moved into my grandfather's old place." Hiroki said.

The cashier nodded her head, there was no more comments as she told him his total. Hiroki paid her with his debit card, he didn't want to shuffle money into his wallet while balancing his bags of stuff. She placed everything in two bags, the cleaning supplies in one, the food and drink with the other one.

Hiroki left the place, managing to carry both of the heavy bags in his arms. He dreaded cleaning his new home but he didn't want his clothing with dust all over them. Besides, his family might come visit after they got the news that he finally moved into the place. Their complaints on the disarray of the place wouldn't be kept quiet. He didn't want to deal with the complaints either. At least he had all the time in the world to clean now.

He had no more papers to grade, no students to lecture, and no yelling at students when they didn't listen to him. Not having to talk to other professors but Miyagi wasn't too bad. Office hours with students who only went to try to bribe him for a good grade at the end of the semester. A grin appeared in his face, liberation filled his body. He was still pissed his dismissal came from unfortunate circumstances. Though, this forceful vacation served for him to reflect on his stressful life back in the city. His parents and Akihiko expressed their concerns on his sleeping and eating patterns due to his work schedule.

His hands gripped his bags tighter to his chest. He always enjoyed coming to the countryside with his grandparents. They didn't spoil him, due to their strict upbringings, but they cared for him nonetheless. All of the grandchildren got the same treatment and none of them ever felt the other was preferred. Hiroki could argue that him getting the house was special but his grandfather had other priceless possessions. Those were given to his other grandchildren. They never sought any interest in the house so his grandfather probably never bothered to think about leaving it to them.

Besides, most of them changed regions for their jobs or left the country on overseas studies. Hiroki stayed a few hours away in Tokyo, he had a chance to come to see the house. Some guilt filled his body on his blatant disregard on wanting the place but it left his body quick. Knowing his grandfather, he probably picked the names out of a hat or flipped a coin. It made him snicker, that was probably the case.

Hurrying down the path which lead toward his home. He maneuvered around a low branch and mentally thought about pruning the branches on the trees near the house. Although he had a flashlight for when he went out at night, he didn't want to hit himself and fall on his ass. His gardening skills lacked finesse, his mother had the green thumb when she took care of her flowers in the backyard of the manor. He might have to call her for some advice since everyone else might divert onto some hocus pocus on how to keep his plants from dying on him. Then again, these trees have survived without intervention. He might just prune some branches off and leave them alone.

Unlocking the door with one hand, he stumbled on inside and kicked off his shoes. He didn't care that his socks got dirty, he had plenty of them in his wardrobe. He had not checked the area for the washing machine and he hoped there was one so he wouldn't need to buy one. Having known the main furniture was sold, the house might not have a washer but he would check the area in the back later on in the day.

Hiroki placed the bags right outside of the kitchen door as he assessed what he had to clean up first. He took out the supplies he needed and went to work. Ignoring the ache on his back, he continued on and caught onto the bareness of the kitchen. He would have to order a new electric stove and a bigger refrigerator than the one he brought along with him. The small refrigerator was good for drinks and any leftover food. He had used it for when he got into his grading sprees, it might come useful when he got more into writing the novel he pitched to Aikawa earlier in the week.

He cleaned the kitchen and placed some of his appliances in the room before he continued on to the rest of the house. This took him the rest of the day and he didn't notice that it was sunset when he moved onto the second floor. He avoided his grandparent's room as he aired out the rest of the rooms. Opening the windows while he dusted and sprayed cleaner into a rag to clean the closets. The smell of pine scented cleaner filled the air.

Taking a breaks to take gulps of his tea, he moved a curtain aside in his old room. The small charm's bell chimed from the movement. Hiroki stared at it, his eyebrows furrowing. Charms never protected against anything. Yet, he felt safe when he heard the small bell. It was probably his old feelings when he first came there on vacation.

* * *

Hiroki dumped all of the used up towels in a bucket, he wiped his forehead. Finally letting his body relax, thrilled that he cleaned up the most vital surfaces of his new home. He even added a polish to the floors just to keep their shine. His hands ached from keeping their same positioning during his cleaning spree. He already decided on fixing up the rest of the furniture he had in the right places later on in the week. No need to fix up his house all in one afternoon. His stomach grumbled so he wandered into the kitchen. After he ate, he might read a book and then fall asleep.

Crouching down to the level of the small refrigerator, he took out one of his take home meals and a can of green tea. He got up on his feet and walked toward the microwave and almost opened the door to the contraption before he heard a chime. He realized it was his phone and he checked the contact. Hiroki rolled his eyes. Akihiko must have grown tired of waiting for him to call back.

Pressing the answer button, he placed it near his ear. "Yes, Akihiko?"

**"How's country life, Hiroki?"** Hiroki leaned again the counter, Akihiko wasted no time in asking him that question.

"I just arrived today you dumb ass." Hiroki rolled his eyes while he popped open one of his take home dinners and placed it in the microwave he brought along with him. "I spent most of it cleaning all of the dust left behind. You would think my uncles could have come back to clean once in a while."

Hiroki heard Akihiko laughing.  **"You were the one that always swore you would never take the deed to that place. They probably didn't even bother coming back after they sealed it off for you and sold most of the furniture."**

"Shut it." Hiroki snapped, his fingers drummed on the counter, he kept an eye on the microwave as it heated up his food. "Other than to bother me, what do you want?"

**"Can't a friend call his best friend in the whole world just to chat?"**

"With you it is never just a call."

**"Ah how hurtful, I only wanted to know if Aikawa has not badgered you with phone calls over your book yet."**

"Phone calls? I finished a call with her before I left Tokyo this morning." Hiroki informed Akihiko, the microwave beeped, he pressed he door open. "Although, I told her I will be working on the book I told her about. She liked my short stories enough so she's going to see what she can do with them. She might publish them on their own or on a books, she wasn't specific."

**"I see. So what name have you used for your pseudonym, Hiroki?"**

"Nobuhiro Kanno."

Akihiko snorted on the other line.  **"I thought you were going to use Jun Hamasaki?"  
**

"I did but I changed my mind, Nobuhiro is my grandfather from my father's side."

**"That mean old man who threw a book at me when I ate his pastry as a kid? C'mon you can choose a better name to represent yourself."**

Hiroki laughed as he took out the box from the microwave and shut the door. "He hated people taking away his sweets. I told you this before you came to my house for my birthday when we were kids. You were the one who didn't listen to me."

**"I thought you were joking with me. Who would have thought an old man would actually hit me for a stupid pastry?"**

Hiroki kept on snickering while he left the kitchen with the box in his hands. "He still brings it up when the family celebrates his birthday. You are own as the pastry stealer."

**"Oh hell no. Is that my reputation in your family?"**

"Yes and it is hilarious. Why do you think my smaller cousins hide their sweets from you? They think you will eat their sweets like a monster and leave them with crumbs."

Akihiko groaned.  **"Looks like I won't go to any more parties with you ever again."**

"Good." Hiroki sat on one of the boxes left in the hallway, placing his food on his lap, he broke his chopsticks before he started eating. "The kids will enjoy themselves for once."

**"Whatever. I went for the booze not those snot nosed kids. Also, f** **rom what my lodger tells me, the students are talking about your sudden dismissal and the rumors are just hilarious."**

"You have a lodger? Since when?" Hiroki inquired as he took a bite of his pork. "And don't tell me any rumors, they might be bullshit as far as I'm concerned."

**"Takahiro's brother, the kid is a lost cause in grades but he makes sure my house isn't a mess all the time. He was in your class. Someone stricter took over your spot and the students are actually missing you. He complains about this professor more than he ever did with you."**

Hiroki sighed with a smirk on his face. "Damn, I must have lost my touch if I don't put fear in them anymore. Did you tell your lodger where I went? He does know I am your friend right?"

**"Not at all. He can figure it out by himself. He doesn't need to know everything in my life anyway and he's only staying with me because Takahiro doesn't have a place to put him in."**

"Wow, you are such a generous soul." Hiroki drawled, he took another bite of his food. "Any other charity work I should know about?"

**"Nothing else, anyway I should go. I am being summoned to dinner. The kid came back late from his study group."**

"Can't keep your slave waiting, talk to you later." Hiroki hung up and finished the rest of his food and downed his tea.

After putting his trash in a bag, he unearthed his futon and rolled it out in the living room floor. He turned off all of the lights before he returned and laid on the soft futon. The window was obscured with a thick curtain, moonlight peeked through the gaps. Staring for a few moments, he turned to his phone and sent his parents a quick message before he went to sleep.

The charms around the house chimed. Hiroki didn't wake up from the bells, he only snuggled into his blankets in his deep sleep.

TBC

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Hiroki handled the calls on the appliances his house lacked while he drank his morning coffee. The process of picking out the washer and the refrigerator were simple enough, he had an old catalog. His mind, clear of aggravations due to the extra hour of sleep he attained when he first fell asleep. The alarm clock which made the shrillest of sounds, remained buried in his many moving boxes. He didn't think of taking it out when he finished cleaning, without a work schedule he didn't need it. There were thoughts on throwing it away. An author didn't adhere to a schedule in waking up early. Akihiko never woke up early from Hiroki's experience.

He finished his first cup of coffee, standing up, he poured himself another one. A dark rich brew he used to perk him up when he remained half-asleep in the mornings. Although he didn't need the caffeine, he couldn't imagine this habit changing after his move. After the hallucination he experienced in the cemetery, he had to stay on high alert. Having the talismans and charms around this place brought him comfort. Whatever he saw couldn't have followed him back home.

Adding the extra fixings to his coffee, he took a large gulp. Not minding the bitterness of the drink, he relaxed on his box. The few chairs he kept for visitors still remained in the living room. The early morning left him in a lazy mood, he didn't want to move any of his furniture around.

He assumed his mother would have called him early in the morning to ask how he handled his new home. Akihiko had already done it, maybe he already informed her on his state so she didn't have to do it. His father didn't call him much, he preferred talking to him in person than on the line. It might take a while before they saw each other face to face. He knew the topic of his dismissal from his old job would make his father come seek him out soon.

Getting up from his box, Hiroki rinsed out his cup with hot water and placed it in the counter. His plan of attack was to fix up his bedroom upstairs and place his books in one of the spare bedrooms. Using one of them might make the house less empty. Less echoes bouncing off the bare walls. Hearing the sound of his own noise when he ranted about stupid topics to distract himself from the silence. He rather enjoyed the silence. Freedom to scream his frustrations. His old apartment complex always complained about families with their screaming children. Others with their loud music blasting into the night.

Many of his old apartments complained about every little thing. Most of the university students studied half the time they were home. Not that anyone would throw any big parties, those saved for when they released their tensions at bars. Hiroki had gone to some bars but the loud music irritated him so he drank at home and dropped to sleep on his own floor instead.

Rubbing his temples, Hiroki walked into his living room. He picked up the boxes labeled books with the author's last names as the way he categorized his bookshelves. A majority were Akihiko's novels and Akihiko had declared he would do the same for his books. Friends had to support each other after all.

Going up the stairs, he placed them outside of the room across from his room. He made a few more trips downstairs until half of the hallway, blocked, an account on the boxes. The last things were the bookcases, which were lighter than he remembered. Hiroki opened the door and went to work. This didn't take him so much time since he already planned out the placement of every little thing.

Once he finished, he placed an air freshener on the top of one of his bookcases and he took a step back. He felt proud of finishing one usable room for his own things. This room was bigger than the old living room he used for his books, which was a hazard when he slept on his table during his grading. He missed an avalanche of books when a light earthquake hit the city and he woke up in time to roll out of the way. Akihiko commented on his book collection almost killing him in his sarcastic droll. It took all Hiroki's self control not to comment on Akihiko's bear collection. He remembered those soulless beady eyes. They unnerved him at times.

Hiroki wandered inside of his room. Going to the closet, he checked for anything out of the ordinary. He remembered he hid some of his old things in the closet when he spent his summers in that home but throughout the years he forgot them. After cleaning out every single surface of the room, he didn't clean the interior of the closet. He never used a closet at any of his old apartments, they ended up as storage for bigger things he couldn't keep in the open.

Opening the door with ease, he peeked up at the shadows expecting to see anything out of the ordinary. He saw nothing. This didn't quell his own hesitation as he crawled inside of the closet and pressed different areas. Feeling for any spaces where he might have created a hiding spot. His mother made one from one of the floorboards of the closet. He remembered he made a new spot so his grandparents couldn't go looking for anything. Their old age made it that their bones grew fragile and impossible to reach out for anything. Which was why he ended up being the errand boy for anything they needed.

Hiroki reached up his arm and bumped into a loose board on the top of the closet. Snapping his head up. He squinted his eyes, trying to catch anything that might pass him. He reached up both of his arms and moved the board to the side. An onslaught of dust had him sneezing and covering his nose with his sleeve.

Hiroki bumped his head in his closet and he hitched his breath. Rubbing the spot on his head, he swore to himself while he continued on reaching up his hand through the hole on the roof of the closet. He grasped a small object. Taking it out, his eyes widened when he saw an old wooden figurine with a long strand of beads between its clutched hands. There was a small chip on the hands since he dropped it on the floor once.

"I forgot I left this thing here." Hiroki muttered as he moved the figure around. "Why the hell did I hide this thing in the first place? Shit, I could have taken it back home. No wonder grandma kept asking me if I had this guy around."

Calmness filled his body as he got out of the closet and got a better eye on the figure. The painted dark long hair and grey eyes. Plenty of versions of this figure were around that temple on the other side of town but Hiroki never saw them. His grandmother gave him this one while he stood in a petulant matter at the door of the temple. Plenty of older people walking in and out, many with offerings in their arms. Hiroki always wondered if anyone ate the food when everyone left. Maybe old customs might have scared people into not even thinking about snatching up the offerings.

He placed it on the windowsill and he swore the eyes twinkled underneath the sun. Staring at it, he remembered a story his grandmother told him when he was a brat. Half the time, her stories had a romantic tone to them but the one about the town guardian made him contemplate the validity of the story.

* * *

_Hiroki remained seated next to his grandmother who cut up a piece of her castella cake. She smiled down at him, ruffling his hair, she placed the plate in front of him. Sipping his green tea with honey, he rubbed his nose with a tissue. He caught a cold on the day he arrived to his grandparent's home but at least he was on the road to recovery. Although, he wanted to drink something other than herbal tea after so many days of drinking it. He hoped when he drank soda again it wouldn't taste nasty. His grandmother was firm in making him only drink tea to chase away the sickness._

_Not that he could argue with the old woman. He didn't want to disappoint her if he disobeyed her, she only looked for his best interest. She was the one who took care of him this whole time and didn't lose her patience when he complained of staying in bed._

_"Hiro-chan?"_

_Hiroki sipped more of his tea, his nose wrinkled. "Yes, nana?"_

_Sayuri asked him. "Do you want me to tell you a story?" Hiroki nodded his head as he got comfortable on his pillow. "What kind of story would you like to hear? Because I have plenty up my sleeve or I could just imagine one on the spot. Hmm.." She contemplated while Hiroki shrugged his shoulders._

_"I don't know, whatever you want." Hiroki sniffled._

_"I know!" She declared. "How about the story of the guardian of the village?"_

_"Guardian?" Hiroki arched a brow. "What do you mean?"_

_"It's the story of the temple of the guardian we visited the other day. I never got to tell you the whole story since your fever came back when I went inside." Sayuri told Hiroki as she took a bite of her slice of cake. "Now where to start...you see there was a master who owned this whole village. He also had another section up North which got taken later in the years. In the earlier years of his rule, storms raged the area. Floods took away the crops for the season. Homes, waterlogged from the storms, decayed through the typhoon season. This went on for years until the villagers couldn't take it anymore and begged their leader to fix this whole disaster._

_One villager came up to his lord and told him about sacrificing one of his sons. The first born, favorable, but a child of noble birth to quell the anger of the gods. Everyone in this town favored this and demanded him to give up a son for the better of the village. You see, back then, disasters fixed anything through giving sacrifices or praying. Nowadays, we don't go through such drastic measures but they didn't see it that way."_

_Enraptured in the story, Hiroki sipped more of his tea as his grandmother coughed into her hand to clear her throat. Not that his parents told stories in a horrible matter but his grandparents always made them sound exciting._

_"Now, the town's lord had a choice, to either sacrifice one of his sons or enrage the gods." The woman stirred her green tea. "The storms grew fiercer still, the houses broke even more, and the town grew over flooded with water. Sacrificing a child is hard enough but to do it on purpose made it all the more difficult for the man. Although, he was ready to do it, his wife didn't permit him to use any of her beloved sons. "_

_"Who did they use then?" Hiroki placed his chin on his palm. "It wasn't like his wife would let him pick any of her kids or anything."_

_"You're right." She sipped more of her tea. "Now, the master had a bastard son by another noblewoman who got stripped of her title. His wife proposed to use him. He had royal blood in his veins and no one would miss him. His mother's family didn't desire having any association with him and his mother died of the disease from those days. He had no one but his father who took pity on him."_

_Hiroki's eyes widened as he frowned. "I don't like the wife, she is a mean person."_

_Sayuri smiled. "I did as well when I first heard the story from my mother. Plenty of towns have done the same sacrifices to prevent famine, disease, and bad weather. It might be coincidence that this town's weather is not too horrendous nowadays or we are in a good spot where we miss the heart of the storm."_

_Hiroki averted his eyes as his poked his castella cake. Not finding his appetite at the moment. It wasn't due to his cold, just hearing someone dying made his stomach hurt a bit._

_"Now, the master didn't want to lead his son to his demise. He saw his kind and gentle soul, the matter in which he defended his younger siblings who turned against him due to their mother. His bravery fell on deaf ears, his creation forever stained any good he did in his life._

_When the storm grew harsher to the point where crops couldn't grow. The lady of the manor pulled the young man aside. She told him that a son of the manor had to get sacrificed to stop the weather to appease the gods. The young man never had a liking to the woman, she turned his brothers against him after all, but he didn't want them to get hurt._

_He requested an audience with his father, explaining how he wanted to get sacrificed in place of his siblings. The master, heartbroken, nodded his head as he called his guards to take his son away. Tied up and blindfolded. Moved up to the mountains, the winds pushed against them but they kept on going. The master followed after them, wanting to see his son in his final moments._

_The men dug up the earth, trying to hurry up as they heard the young man speaking to his father. His words, encouraging, telling him how everything would turn out fine. They swore they heard their master choke up a sob but they knew better to voice any weakness in the man. When everything finished, the young man gave them a sincere smile as he bid them farewell. In their shock, they hesitated a moment before they knocked the young man out cold. The master stared at the body, no emotions in his eyes._

_The master watched his son get buried alive. He tried hard not to think about his last moments in his life as he kept a mask of indifference in front of the men who accompanied him. A token of his son, the ribbon he used to bind his hair back, stayed tucked in his pocket._

_The next day, the rains stopped. Everyone in the village rejoiced, they built back their homes as the master announced the sacrifice of his son. A temple got built in the mountains where offerings started to get left behind. To keep the peace."_

_Hiroki asked. "Is that why you went to that temple and left all that fruit?"_

_She nodded her head. "It's the story that comes along with the temple and many people still believe in it. Some even say they have seen the young man wandering around town but no one has given a good description on what he looked like."_

_Hiroki turned and stared at the statue on the window. "What about that?" He pointed at it. "That's what it looks like right?"_

_"Hmmm...I'm not sure." Sayuri turned her head to stare at it. "I have seen different interpretations at the temple. I never asked the priest if there is a definite description of this young man."_

_Hiroki sipped more of his tea. His cake remained on his plate, undisturbed._

* * *

Hiroki scoffed. "Yeah fucking right." He held the statue in his hands as he left his room. "I must have been a pretty gullible kid to have believed something so far fetched. Although," He inspected the figure. "This thing brought relief to nana, she never felt danger with this thing around." He went down the stairs to the kitchen where he placed the figure on the window. He pushed up his glasses and sighed. "Well, might as well leave you out here. I don't see the harm."

He went back to unpacking the kitchen supplies as the bells around the house jingled again. He sat on the hardwood floor and checked the window of the living room as he opened the main box. Dismissing anything our of the ordinary he continued on opening more boxes. Looking inside, he pondered on which needed to stay in storage. It wasn't like he needed to use a blender often.

A gust of wind passed through the window and the bells chimed again. Hiroki huffed as he got up and checked the bell from the living room window. Half of the windows of the house remained closed but it seemed they jingled at the same time. Poking at the bell, it didn't sound as loud. Without the wind hitting those charms, the house went into a deep silence. Thoughts filled his mind. New ideas on a story, something with bells. Maybe. A timeline of the story formed but he had no characters in mind yet. A smile etched on his face. Years had passed since his last idea.

Since he started university and then going through the stress of acquiring his job had stifled his creativity. His old works remained untouched. Most of his attention went to correcting papers of students who he assumed tried hard to make his life a misery. After a while, he saw this wasn't the case. He corrected his papers harsher than most of the literature professors at the university. Miyagi pointed it out when he checked one of his papers and commented how the grader was lower than how he usually did them.

Then again, Miyagi was a favorite in their department. His lenient teaching style and joking personality made the students go to his class. In fact, Miyagi boasted about how his students loved him and didn't complain when he had to get somewhat strict. Hiroki learned to tune him out when he got into his talkative moods and at times popped in some ear phones to listen to music.

Now that he left Mitsuhashi, he sort of missed Miyagi. The man brought some entertainment to his job but Hiroki was sure he didn't know the reason on his dismissal in the first place. He might call him one of these days but they were in the middle of preparing for finals. This never stopped Miyagi when he put his mind on something. Not that Hiroki gave him a number to contact him.

Smacking his lips, Hiroki took a step away from the window. This new found freedom made him feel lazy. All he had to do for a while was clean, unpack everything and eat the rest of his pre made food. His eyes went to his overnight bag. Trying to write would take away some of his feeling of uselessness.

Hiroki grabbed his overnight bag and took out his laptop. He placed it on the clean table and turned it on while he thought about the idea he had a while ago. Checking his old files, he started working on a new one as he began to type at a fast rate.

The story unraveled through his fingertips and he didn't move from his spot.

* * *

After sunset, Hiroki thought on taking a break from typing. He had not gone through a writing fest since his finals papers when he went into literature. His wrists ached a bit. It wasn't favorable to wreck his wrists when his new writing path needed his two hands to function well. He managed to get through most of the basis of the story. All he had to do was start writing the first chapter then everything will flow without a problem. He left the titles to his works toward the end. Those took a while for him to think about and he didn't want to waste time when he had a story to finish.

He heated up food and went back to his spot on the floor. Hiroki remained focused on his food as his mind swirled with ideas. The characters formed and named popped up. He hoped the rest of his novels came to him with this much clarity.

Hiroki jumped when he heard the bells ringing again and he snapped at the bell on top of the curtains in the living room. Glaring at the charm, he ate the rest of his rice ball. He needed to get cable connected to his home soon or he might think there was something else in this place. His old radio remained in his boxes but the stations didn't suit his taste. At least his laptop gave him access to music which he enjoyed listening to when he worked. When he started to get into his writing mode, he might have to create a music list to relax him when he wrote.

He snapped his head to the door when he heard a crash. For a moment, he assumed it was a cat but the noise created was bigger than any cat he encountered in the city. "Ughhh." Hiroki made a face as he kept his eyes on the door. He didn't want to look outside like some loser from a horror movie.

Everyone always made fun of the dumb ass who went to check on the noise outside but Hiroki was curious. When he stayed in the summer as a kid, he heard nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was because he now stayed there on his own. No one in his family came around but it might change when they find out he finally moved out of the city.

He dumped his trash in a bag and went through his possessions to grab his flashlight. Making sure he had his cellphone on him, he opened the back door and pointed his flashlight in every direction. He remained at the door and didn't manage to see what exactly made that noise. There was only grass on the ground, some leaves, but nothing else.

"Maybe it was nothing." Hiroki said to himself in relief. "Might as well go back in and forget this ever happened."

When he finished his last sentence there was another crash. A cat scrambled past Hiroki, he rolled his eyes. He got worked up over a cat. A chubby cat which might have lost balance and hit something on the side of the house. There were some wild animals roaming around from what Hiroki remembered.

Hiroki held onto his flashlight as he aimed it at the area the cat came from. He saw nothing. Taking a step out of his home, he closed the door behind him and he made his way to that area. The house was completely empty but he never checked on the side of the house when he first arrived. He made a brief search before he walked back to the door and felt someone watching him.

"Hello?"

Hiroki snapped his head over his shoulder and his eyes widened when he saw a familiar set of blue eyes. The jewelry the man wore glimmered under the moonlight and his long hair pooled over his shoulders.

"You can see me right?!" The figure said in glee. "I am so happy, it's amazing to meet you and welcome!"

"What the fuck?!" Hiroki back away until his back hit the door he came out of earlier. His hand gripped the flashlight hard enough that it quivered in his hand.

The entity frowned as he reached out his hand. "I'm so sorry to have scared you. I didn't mean to, I only wanted to say welcome to the town." His eyebrows furrowed as he rubbed his chin with his hands. "Not that anyone ever responded back anyway..."

Hiroki gritted his teeth. "I am not scared. You just caught me by surprise." He pointed the flashlight at Nowaki and gulped when he saw the light go through him. "Who are you?"

The man smiled. "I'm Nowaki,"

Hiroki arched a brow. "Just Nowaki?"

Nowaki nodded his head. "Yes,"

"That can't be, everyone has a last name."

Nowaki shook his head. "I don't." He played with his long black hair. "I forgot. It has been a while since I had to remember it and no one asked me before."

Hiroki averted the flashlight from Nowaki, he pushed up his glasses. "Alright, what are you?" He figured it was a dream, he would wake up any minute.

Nowaki tilted his head, moonlight hit the pendant on his forehead. "Lets just say I am a protector of sorts."

"Protector?" Hiroki arched a brow as he placed an arm behind his back and grabbed the door knob. "I don't believe you at all." He lied as he turned the knob. "I have someone coming over in a little bit so you better leave."

Nowaki chuckled. "How adorable," He rubbed his hands together. "I know for a fact no one is coming over."

Hiroki opened the door in a flash and ran inside, slamming the door without a second thought.

Nowaki sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

The moment Hiroki heard some loud knocks at the front door, he tried not to bolt toward the area. He fast walked and smoothed down his shirt. He didn't care about the appearance of his hair or anything else. Akihiko wasn't anyone _that_  important to warrant a hair check. The guy messed up his hair even more just to annoy him after all. He even blew his smoke to his face just to get a reaction out of him. Having learned to keep in his temper, this just made Akihiko want attempt new methods against him. So far, Akihiko had not succeeded in making him blow up like when they were in high school. At least, not yet anyway but it didn't stop Akihiko from trying. Half of their interactions were Akihiko trying to get him angry at him for his amusement.

Opening the door, a line of smoke blew in his face. Covering his nose, he glared at Akihiko. Using his other hand to dissipate the smoke, he tried not to cough as a result. Next time, Akihiko would get a book to his face. Crushing his perfectly lined nose mattered little to him. It might build some character in the guy and he wouldn't care much about his appearance. Not that Akihiko boasted about his good luck in appearance, he gave vague details whenever he spoke to certain people who annoyed him. He caught a flash of red and his glare weakened. Aikawa stood right next to Akihiko with a carry out box in her hands.

Hiroki moved out of the way, ignoring Akihiko, he talked to Aikawa without any anger in his voice. "I didn't know you were coming, Aikawa-san. This moron failed to mention this when he called me yesterday."

Aikawa grinned as she waved her carry out box full of sweet with her manicured hands. "When he told me he couldn't finish his manuscript again. I knew it had something to do with leaving town so I bullied him into letting me come along. I have the papers for you to sign so you are a new member of Marukawa in my purse. You can even pitch me one of your ideas right now if you want."

Akihiko rolled his eyes as he inhaled more smoke into his lungs. "She extended my deadline another month."

Hiroki glanced at Akihiko, knowing full well Akihiko always had his way in his endeavors. He wouldn't do anyone favors without getting something in return. He had enough money so it went toward extending he deadlines on his late which he spent finishing at the last minute. Although, Aikawa didn't relent in her pursuit about Akihiko's lateness. Hiroki knew she intimidated Akihiko in some shape or form.

Akihiko's old editor cowered with one push. He actually felt pity for the guy and tried helping out at times but he grew tired being the mediator. Good thing Aikawa came along and somewhat straightened Akihiko out.

Aikawa huffed as she put her a hand on her hips. "You are lucky Isaka-san goes easy on you."

"Because my books are  _always_  best sellers."

Hiroki intervened as he motioned them inside. "Do you two want any tea? I have a coffee maker if that is not what you want."

Aikawa smiled as she took off her heels. "That would be lovely. Thank you so much, Kamijou-san." She opened the cabinet near the door to take out a pair of slippers. "Do you have a variety of tea to choose from? I don't have a real preference."

Hiroki turned toward Akihiko. "Snuff that out before coming in here,"

Akihiko blew another line of smoke. "Why? You are used to smelling and seeing me smoking."

Hiroki arched a brow. "Due to the fact this place was my grandfather's pride and joy. He gave me the responsibility to look after it. I made sure this place was cleaned and I won't have you drop ash in this place. He might come back from the dead and haunt you in your dreams."

Akihiko stared at him, then dropped the cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out. "I'm not risking my valuable amazing dreams because of an old man coming to yell at me. I hate getting yelled at by anyone. It makes me uncomfortable."

Aikawa remained near the entrance and stared at all of the portraits in the frames. She noticed a variety of black and white photographs with different faces. Plaques in the bottom of the frames named the picture in the photograph and the year. Some of them had rips and discoloration due to age but the frame kept them intact. She noticed one where Hiroki stood in front of the house with his grandparents and his parents. Hiroki had the biggest grin on his face while his grandfather had his hand on the top of his head. Hiroki's mother was gorgeous, Hiroki got his looks from her. She noted Hiroki got his stern expression from his father. There were similar portraits which had Hiroki's uncles with their children.

The one which made her smile was the one where Hiroki wore an old style yukata while holding his grandparents hands. Having met Hiroki on a more casual basis, he never smiled this big in her presence. In many of the photos, he presented a much happier child than the adult who didn't give away his smiles so easily. There were more pictures of Hiroki's cousins, she assumed they all lived in the same town since they made more appearances. She found a more recent photograph which had every single family member in the photo. Hiroki stood in the middle of all of his cousins, a majority of them were women.

This whole image amused her. He didn't look miserable in the photo but the women tried to get as close to him as possible. Hiroki probably grew used to their antics if he let them snuggle close to him. She didn't know if they would come over to this home during her visit. From their closeness, maybe they would come without notice and surprise Hiroki. From the kind and mischievous smiles, they looked like they had such a good time.

Hiroki held back the urge to roll his eyes yet again. He wondered how he managed such a long friendship with this man. "You are such a  _delight_  to be around Akihiko." Sarcastically, he moved aside as he told him. "Get in before more leaves come inside of my house. Then, he will definitely come into your dreams. He hated messiness."

Akihiko huffed. "Stop saying that type of shit. Your family members are the most violent people I have ever met in my life."

Hiroki snorted. "Because they don't take shit. None of them would have supported your antics as long as I did."

Aikawa piped up as he took a step back from the portraits. "Kamijou-san, are any of your family members coming over?"

Hiroki answered. "Not to my knowledge. A good portion of them are studying overseas or they moved out of town. Some of my uncles still live here but they are on the other side of town but they don't know I am here."

Akihiko took off his polished black shoes and placed them in the shoe cabinet. "Your mother probably called and told them so they would leave you provisions." He closed the door behind him and hopped over the step without any slippers.

Hiroki glared at him. "Don't you dare jinx my peaceful life."

Aikawa snickered. "So you are not close to them?"

"Oh, I am close to them. Too close for my liking." Hiroki said as walked past them and wandered down the main hallway. "I have a small table in the living so you can stay in there. And before you ask Akihiko, there are no boxes in there. I put what I had left to unpack in the closets. I'll be right back, make yourselves comfortable." He went inside of the kitchen while Akihiko and Aikawa went into the living room.

Aikawa placed the box in the middle of the low table and sat down on her pillow. She put her purse right next to her as she observed the room. There was a lack of decorations in comparison to the main entrance but she didn't mind. The guy just moved into this place. There were more important things to do than making sure the house had trinkets all over the place. Maybe Hiroki would give them a tour if she asked him after they finished their business.

Akihiko opened the curtains and let the light inside of the room. His eyes caught onto a small bell and he got closer to it. Akihiko poked the charm with his index finger. He knew Hiroki's grandfather as an eccentric but to have these charms and those ugly yellow talismans was ridiculous. Hiroki needed to get rid of them. Despite his own lack of care about people, Hiroki lived here on his own. The people in town would start commenting on the abundance of protection on the house when supernatural things didn't exist.

Aikawa exclaimed in a cheery voice. "Kamijou-san! Will there be a house tour before we leave?"

Hiroki peeked around the entrance of the room with a tray in his hands. "Most of the rooms are not furnished yet. Do you really want a tour?"

Aikawa nodded her head. "I insist. It looks very beautiful inside."

"Considering all of the ugly paper in the outside." Akihiko snorted as he kept poking the charm.

Hiroki could almost hear the extra snarky comments coming from Akihiko through his eyes. "They were in the fine print. I can't remove them." Hiroki said as he placed the cups in front of Aikawa and Akihiko. "Now where is that contract?"

* * *

Hiroki read the whole contract Aikawa gave him while he half listened to the conversation in front of him. He sipped his coffee from time to time as he turned the page. Akihiko assured him Marukawa wouldn't rip him off of his work. The amount of money paid to him wouldn't get halved if they didn't sell enough. At times, he edited Akihiko's books when he had the time to spare. His old job made it impossible for him to have any free time. Isaka and Aikawa had found out from Akihiko who made sure to put him in a good light. Akihiko told him the company made sure to give great preference to great writers. Especially since Akihiko turned into one of their best selling authors. Well, right next to their best selling mangaka, Kyo Ijuuin.

Hiroki had never read his manga, he took more interest in the written word of a book than a manga. He read them as a child but they didn't gather his interest anymore. Also, it didn't help that his students read them in class and he confiscated a great amount of them. A good portion were Kyo Ijuuin's "The Kan" which turned into a groan fest whenever he snatched one out of a student's hands. He didn't hate the premise of the story. He just remembered the annoyance of when he saw one during his lecture. When he made it a point that anything in his lectures were on tests. Grading lackluster papers made him get a headache.

Picking up his pen, he twirled it in his fingers while he read the final paragraphs. There was nothing which stood out as odd through what he read. His father always told him to read every detail to not miss anything that might bite him in the ass later. After running a business for decades, Soshi Kamijou's advice was something Hiroki took seriously. His father knew what he talked about and looked out for his best interest. At least he didn't try to monopolize his life after graduation. He knew when to back off. Hiroki requested to handle things on his own and to go to his father as a last result.

The shocked expression on his father's face when he met him in his office told Hiroki everything. Hiroki couldn't clear his name on his own. His father had the money and the connections to dig out evidence through what the envelope had provided. Maybe even more underlying evidence. Hiroki could had claimed the girl in the photo was one of his cousins but the uniform didn't match. His cousins went to high end high schools which didn't sport the usual sailor uniform.

This mess had to get resolved soon. He hated having such a disgusting claim hanging over his head.

Rubbing his temples, Hiroki gazed up and saw Akihiko itching his hand toward the inner pocket of his blazer. "Don't you dare light one up in here." He signed the document and placed the pen on the table. "Remember. The spirit will come back to haunt your ass."

"Shut up." Akihiko took a long swig of his bitter coffee.

Hiroki never understood how Akihiko drank such bitter coffee. He assumed it was as dark as his soul.

Aikawa placed her cup on her plate when she asked Hiroki. "What are those charms for exactly? My grandmother had them in her windows too but she never told me why she had them there. Are they for protection or good luck?"

Hiroki handed her the contract when he said. "Well, grandfather told me they were to protect the house. Something about old superstitions keeping away evil spirits that might harm a person. Since my grandparents had more than four kids, they wanted to keep them healthy through every means possible. My mother told me how grandmother used to make them drink herbal teas every single week to keep their health up."

Akihiko arched a brow. "I can't imagine your uncles going through with what your grandmother wanted. From the last time I talked to them, they didn't seem the type to listen to anyone."

"Not when she whacked them with a wooden spoon. She struck fear in their hearts when they were kids and they didn't dare disobey her. Also, grandfather brought them up in the strictest environment. Something your father failed to do with you and your brother."

"Half-brother."

" _Whatever_." Hiroki snapped.

The bells chimed loudly around the house which made all of them jump. Aikawa almost knocked over her cup, Akihiko hit his knee on the low table, and Hiroki twitched. He didn't want his guests to have heard the unusual bells he had in his home. Those small bells shouldn't sound so loud. Hiroki rubbed his temples as he tried to pass it off as nothing. He even grabbed a pastry and started eating it.

Akihiko inquired. "Hiroki what the fuck was that?"

Hiroki glared at him as he put the pastry onto a napkin. "The charms,"

Aikawa observed the living room. "Oh wow...I never thought those small bells could produce such a big sound. Not even my grandmother's charms made such a commotion."

Hiroki sighed. "I think there is a ghost floating around the town. I noticed they jingle in the wind but when there is something else..."

Akihiko took out of cigarette and his lighter. "Since when do you believe in ghosts?" He lit it up and let out a deep breath.

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "You are the one afraid of my grandfather coming into your dreams."

Akihiko patted Hiroki on the top of his head as he blew a line of smoke on his face. "There, now whatever ghost is coming after your ass won't stay near you."

"You asshole." Hiroki slapped Akihiko on the arm. "I am not pitying you when my grandfather come after you in your dreams."

Akihiko shrugged his shoulders as he got up and walked toward the door. Hiroki saw him searching around him to see if anything would jump out at him. Whether Akihiko believed in spirits or not, he still made it obvious that he checked everywhere for them.

Aikawa clicked her tongue as she shook her head at his antics. "He needs to control himself. How can you stand him?" She drawled sarcastically with a grin.

Hiroki sighed as he rubbed his temples. "I have no clue," He gazed down at her. "How the hell do you manage to get him to finish this work?"

"Persuasion." Aikawa wagged her finger. "Also, I noticed I sort of scare him sometimes."

"You might be right." Hiroki appeased her as they got up from the table and followed Akihiko toward the front door. "When do you want me to pitch my novel?"

Aikawa answered with a grin. "I will call in later this week so you can pitch it for me. We could had done it today but I have to get back to Marukawa to turn your contact in." She flipped back her hair as she put on her shoes. "I'm sure you will turn out more responsible than Usami sensei."

Hiroki snorted. "I made sure to keep to the deadlines when I was still in university. I will try not to ask for extensions like a certain person we know."

"Shut up, Hiroki." Akihiko said as he continued on smoking his cigarette.

Hiroki ignored him when he told Aikawa. "Thank you for coming, I will start on developing a few story ideas to tell you."

"It's no problem! Make sure to refrigerate the rest of those pastries." Aikawa went outside as Akihiko stepped back inside.

Akihiko gave Hiroki a one armed hug as he ruffled his hair. "Be careful."

Hiroki sighed. "You should worry about yourself, you might get a nightly visitor."

Akihiko frowned. "Never mind, let that ghost come get you at night." He blew another line of smoke at Hiroki's face before he got out.

Hiroki waved at them before he closed the door. He went into his living room and grabbed the box of pastries to place inside of his fridge. Another jingle of his bells happened when he walked through his home.

* * *

Hiroki separated the trash into different bags as he tied each one shut. He had gotten the garbage schedule when he called them to start coming back to his home. He made sure he got his different containers in a section outside of the kitchen. It was a tedious task but he had grown used to it when he lived in the city. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he tied the main garbage bag. Leaving the others for the days the garbage would come pick them up.

Hauling it out of the container, he dropped his garbage when he saw Nowaki peeking through the window. "What the fuck are you doing here? And stop activating those bells I can't sleep at night! I don't have anywhere to go anyway but I am enjoying these days of sleep."

Nowaki pouted as he remained where he stood. "Ah...you are so mean. I only wanted to come talk to you, Hiroki-san. Your friends seemed pretty nice. Although, your silver haired friend should lessen the smoking habit. It makes breathing that much harder when you are old. A number of the people in this town have died of smoking."

"Well, the moron doesn't listen to reason." Hiroki picked up his bag of garbage and noticed Nowaki made no room to go through the wall. "Why are you not coming in here? I'm not about to talk to you through a wall."

"I want you to invite me in." Nowaki smiled. "I don't want to seem rude through entering your home without permission. Even spirits have manners."

Hiroki harrumphed. "Well the ones who can talk to people and have some consciousness. Most people tell me ghosts usually follow the same paths they took when they were alive." He motioned Nowaki with an movement of his head. "I am inviting you in. Unless the talismans harm you."

Nowaki laughed. "Not at all." He went through the wall and Hiroki got a good view of his full outfit in the daytime. "Those are for dark creatures that roam the forest. Parents are right when they say not to wander the woods at night." He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's sad to see such kind people turn dark over the influence of those creatures."

Hiroki arched a brow. "What are you?"

"I told you already, I am the guardian for this town." Nowaki presented the gold bangles and the pendant on his forehead. "These were placed to protect my spirit when I made the transition. All I remember was that I chose this position for myself. You can't get forced into it unless you want the person to suffer for all of eternity. Then again, people don't care unless it is done for their cause."

Hiroki peeked over his shoulder toward the figure on the counter. "You're that figure aren't you?"

Nowaki turned and saw the little figure as he gushed. "Aw they really are making a better job at these. The priest at the temple really does make them look so life like." Nowaki got closer to the figure and focused some energy into his fingertips, he touched the wood. "The polish finish is better this time around."

"You can  _touch_  things?" Hiroki was speculative, his eyes widened when Nowaki's finger came into contact with the figurine.

"If I can focus everything on where I can touch." Nowaki took back his hand and brushed them against the back of Hiroki's hand. "It's a simple skill I learned when I first got this position. It helps when I guide people away from danger."

Hiroki's hand twitched, he almost didn't want to believe it. Yet, he felt Nowaki's rough hand but for a brief moment. "Holy shit you can, so that means you really are more than a spirit."

"Yup!" Nowaki said in a proud tone, he curled his hand and placed it on his face. "Now that you have asked a little about me. What do you do with your life?"

"Well, what I am doing now with my life..." Hiroki grew confidence when he continued on with his answer. "I am a writer. I am going to write a book in the next upcoming months. The woman who was just here gave me a contract from the company she works for. I will be pitching a story this week to her when she calls me. I have two stories that she might think are good enough."

Nowaki smiled. "Really?! That sounds so amazing. Can you explain which one you are writing right now please?" Nowaki looked like an excited child with his huge smile and the bounce in his step. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Hiroki pondered before he started explaining the premise on both stories. He leaned against the counter and left the garbage bag on the floor. His hands moved around as an added attempt to describe his story. He kept his eyes connected with Nowaki's twinkling pair as he got into the more minute details. Nowaki remained focused in his words and his attention remained on him.

Hiroki smiled throughout the whole talk. At the end, he was breathless. He didn't mind Nowaki's questions and he answered them with content.

* * *

Hiroki scrunched up his nose when he heard the chime coming from his phone. He turned around and grabbed it as his eyes adjusted to the screen. After a few seconds of blinding light, he checked the name and he slid his finger over the screen. He sat up in his dark room and tried not to sleep while he sat on his bedding. This new sleeping schedule gave him more hours of sleep. Whenever he woke up in the middle of the night he went right back to sleep. He rather liked this new sleeping whenever he wanted schedule. With his new book due in six months, he wanted to enjoy his stress-free life with recovering the sleepless nights of grading.

Searching for anyone else in his phone, he didn't find any other text messages. At least his cousins had not bombarded him with messages on coming over to the house for a welcome back party. He was relieved a good portion of them were overseas. Pressing Akihiko's spot on his text message list, he read the short message. His eyes widened as he tilted his head to see if his eyes played a trick on him.

**He came into my dreams. Hiroki, it was horrendous.**

Hiroki burst out in laughter as he held his stomach. He placed his phone in his lap while he tried tried controlling himself. Remembering he lived alone, he let out his laughter. He checked his phone again and another message appeared.

**I know you are laughing. Stop it.**

"I warned you, dumbass. Go back to sleep." Hiroki typed in his phone and sent it to Akihiko.

In Hiroki's opinion it was a manifestation of Akihiko's fear of the old man. Not that he would reassure him. It was fun to keep him afraid for a bit.

Placing his phone back down, he snuggled in his blankets. He heard the chiming of the moving charms all around the house. Hiroki sighed, it seemed Nowaki traveled near the house during his nightly patrols. He realized they chimed loud when the spirit got too close. In the end, Nowaki didn't bother him. At least he was polite enough to ask to come inside of the house instead of trespassing.

Rubbing his face, he sat up on his futon again. He turned on a lamp near his futon and grabbed a book. Thanks to Akihiko, he couldn't go to sleep. He might as well finish the novel he put off when he was in his old apartment.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Hiroki checked through videos that he found online. He let out a big yawn while he ate another bite of his rice omelette. Going through different sites, he settled on YouTube. He was surprised when he found some videos he used to watch in his school days. Some dating back to when he first started elementary school. Taking a good chunk of time, he sighed when the first few searches came up with nothing. He acquired the jackpot when a channel had the movie he wanted in a single video and not in different parts. Even if he didn't find them on the site, there were plenty of sites for him to search for movies. He just felt lazy to search for them.

Having woken up late, he brought down his futon and placed it in the living room. Made a quick meal and dark coffee. Something inside of him nagged at him for turning into this lazy mess. Waking up late in the morning, eat snacks or food, work on his novel, go on errands and then sleep. In some occasions, Nowaki arrived in the afternoon and hung around him. Although, Nowaki handled some of his business so his visits turned out short in the previous weeks.

He yawned, ate another spoonful of his omelette and kept his eyes on the screen. The movie started and the beginning always lagged. He didn't want to skip on ahead or he missed something vital. Smacking his lips, he glanced over at the time.

In his semi-schedule, he placed a whole afternoon on writing. Storyboard and notes. Character fleshing and maybe some barely legible sketches on their appearance. Before this, he wanted to clean the bathroom and the kitchen. He pushed those aside for the last two days and he needed to feel sort of efficient. At least, he threw away his garbage on the right days.

The bells throughout the house chimed out loud. Hiroki had no outward reaction, he sighed. Nowaki arrived earlier than usual. He came around whenever Hiroki either left the house on an errand or in the afternoon.

Hiroki continued on watching the movie when he said. "Hey, Nowaki. You're earlier than usual. Finished your patrols for the day?" He took his first sip of his coffee and cringed. It had gone lukewarm.

"Yup! Nothing has been wandering around the town. Either way, I feel any dark spirits from a distance so I never miss one."

"Uh huh." Hiroki paused the movie, then stared up at Nowaki. "I'm still surprised you can walk around with such long hair. I can barely tolerate the hair that I have." He checked out Nowaki's bangles, no noise came from the time they hit each other.

"I've gotten used to it. I don't think I have ever had it short." He noticed the movie on the screen and he grinned. "I like this movie! I watched it with a child who saw me when it first came out." Nowaki almost squealed as he stood next to Hiroki. "She tried giving me snacks the whole time too. I had to play along. She wouldn't get the hint that I couldn't eat anything."

"Kids never get the hint. You have to be blunt with them." Hiroki patted the spot beside him. "Sit. You might as well watch it with me." Nowaki took a few seconds to move his feet which confused Hiroki. "What? Can't you can't sit or something?"

Nowaki sat next to Hiroki, wagging his finger with a grin. "So impatient. And yes, I can sit down."

Hiroki huffed, pointing his finger at him. "You are old, it wouldn't surprise me if you were so slow. Shit, you might be slower than Akihiko and he's a month older than me."

"Oh, Hiroki-san." Nowaki bellowed out laughing as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eyes. "Ah...so you will keep going with calling me old then? That's pretty mean of you."

"Until you convince me otherwise." Hiroki stated. "I never said I was nice."

Nowaki shrugged his shoulders as he poked the touch pad and the movie resumed playing. "If you need someone to cry on," He patted his lap and wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm right here."

Hiroki gave Nowaki one look before turning back to his laptop. "I will go right through you onto my own futon. No, thanks." He ate the last piece of his omelette. "Besides, I don't cry during these movies." Nowaki bit his lip, holding back his chortling. Hiroki noticed his expression and relented. "Alright,  _fine_. In some movies, I do cry." He grabbed his pillow and laid down, "If anything, you will be the one getting upset."

Nowaki pushed back his long hair over his shoulder. "I don't think so. I rarely get upset with anything." He took his eyes off of Hiroki and stared onto the screen. "I haven't had the need to cry in years."

Hiroki stared at him from the corner of his eyes. Nowaki's smile turned forced. His shoulders hunched. Lip trembling as he kept his eyes on the screen. Hiroki remained silent as he took another sip of his bitter coffee.

He swore he saw tears in those blue eyes.

* * *

A ring went through the room as Hiroki paused the video. He thought it came from the laptop but it continued on going. Scrambling around for his cellphone, he thought it might had been someone from Marukawa according to the ringtone he selected. A simple ringtone which came with the phone when he bought it. When he found his phone, he read the called I.D and he didn't hesitate in answering the call.

If it was Akihiko, it had a more hilarious ringtone he recognized. The noise annoyed the guy. He played it around him enough times that Akihiko gave him the stink eye. It was mostly in slight revenge over his smoking habit. Besides, he usually let it ring and it went to voice mail. He might had answered it later when he felt like it. Maybe even after Akihiko called him enough times.

Hiroki sat up on his futon, slightly breathless he said. "Hello, mom. How're you doing?" He crossed his legs and placed a pillow under his butt for support.

Nowaki snapped his head toward his direction with a smile. "Hello, Kamijou-san!"

"Yes, I'm alright." Hiroki placed his finger to his lips as he talked. "I made sure to keep all of those talismans here at home. Don't worry about a thing mom, grandpa won't come after me because I destroyed his house."

"That would be impossible, Kanno-san passed into the light the moment he died." Nowaki piped up with an all-knowing smile, Hiroki glared at him at his interruption. "What? That's what happened. I can always go searching for him if you want to talk to him." He pressed the play button and lowered the volume.

"Yes, mom? No, I wasn't ignoring you. I thought I saw a deer outside of the window." Hiroki coughed into his hand as he pulled his blanket around his body. "I'm just chilly. Yes, I will drink plenty of tea tonight. I saw the weather broadcast tonight and a storm will go though Tokyo. You might as well board up after this phone call. Play it safe and all that jazz."

Nowaki smiled as he went between watching the movie and paying attention to Hiroki. "This is turning into a pretty good movie. Can we watch another one?" Hiroki nodded his head and Nowaki pumped his first. "I want you to pick a romantic comedy." Hiroki arched a brow and crinkled his nose, it made him laugh.

Hiroki's eyes widened as he raised his voice. "Father got something done with the investigation!" He knocked over a bowl of peanuts which clattered on the floor. "Miyagi is helping him? He knows what happened? Shit." Nowaki paid attention to Hiroki but also the movie. "That's great news. Thank you, mom. I'll talk to you soon." Hiroki hung up the phone and noticed Nowaki remained in the room.

Turning to Nowaki, the spirit stared right in his eyes. He gulped. Nowaki was going to ask him in depth questions about what he said. Not that he minded, but he might embellish some of what happened to him. In a way, he didn't want Nowaki to get a bad impression of him.

Nowaki tilted his head. "You are getting an investigation done?"

Hiroki pocketed his phone as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah. You see, the dean of the university got a manila envelope full of pictures. Images of something I know for a fact I didn't do. When I explained everything to my family, they knew it wasn't true. One aspect of those photos made it impossible for them to believe the accusation."

"Which was?" Nowaki insisted.

"According to those photos, I was sleeping with a high school girl. Well, she was holding onto me and looked like I was kissing her or something." Hiroki licked his lips before he resumed talking "Those were completely false. I don't even like women so whoever wanted me fired doesn't know me. My father assumes it is a professor who hates. I might had thought of someone but it couldn't had been him. He might be a jerk but he likes a challenge. He wouldn't stoop so low."

"I wouldn't believe it either. From what you told me, you took your position seriously. I can tell you are being sincere." Nowaki commented while Hiroki picked up the peanuts and nit picked the floor for any remnants. "At least you have pushed aside some possible candidates."

"I guess, Tsumori is a playboy though. I have seen my share of women leaving his office whenever something happened between them. Some did exaggerate over someone who never specified their relationship status. From his history, they should had expected it." Hiroki glared at the small pieces of the peanuts on the floor.

Nowaki asked. "So, your father is an investigator?"

Hiroki snorted. "No, he's the president of the family company. It's a sake company which has gone through many countries. He might bring me some when he comes to visit one of these days. Besides, he has plenty of connections to help me out."

"You never told me you were the son of someone so important." Nowaki furrowed his eyebrows, Hiroki didn't notice his change of face. He kept his eyes on the peanuts on the floor. "It seems your father would do anything for you. The fact that your family believed you and wanted to protect you from getting labeled something awful."

"I am the only son." Hiroki grabbed a piece of paper from his table and scooped the smaller pieces of peanuts. "He didn't spoil me for shit though. Something about children growing up arrogant in such a privileged lifestyle. I needed proper discipline. No one spoiled me unless it was special occasions. Birthdays and school graduations mostly." He put the bowl far away from them as possible. "Either way, I don't ask him for help. So, he knew I wasn't bullshitting when I told him."

"Are you going to move back?"

"What?"

"When this is all over. Will you go back to Tokyo?"

With no hesitation in his voice, Hiroki said, "No."

"I would have thought..."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I've grown to like it here." He sighed, turning his attention back to the movie. "I never thought getting fired brought me so much relief. After thinking about it, I never gave myself time to breathe. This is turning into a new home for me."

Nowaki smiled. "I'm glad." He stared back at the screen. "I changed my mind, let's pick a comedy."

* * *

Miyagi stirred his cup of noodles with a sigh. Without Hiroki to bug in his office, it felt so empty. Even with this new literature professor that now occupied Hiroki's spot, the guy left to go eat in the cafeteria. Leaving the room quiet and boring. He tried welcoming this new guy into the flock but he greeted him with coldness. No nonsense and strict. Much stricter than Hiroki ever handled his classes. This left him as the professor the students ran to complain. He was the favorite so they felt comfortable. The Dean did nothing to help their problem anyway.

This new situation made the literature department a mess. A new assortment of students transferred all over the place. This made attendance confusing. New faces popped up in almost every class. Some of the professors gossiped over this new guy's sudden appearance. He came flying in the moment Hiroki got dismissed. They had their suspicions and voiced it between each other. Due to the new guys cold shoulder, he never entered the areas the professors cohabited. He didn't know of the whispers behind his back.

Slurping his noodles, Miyagi checked the time on the wall. He had another twenty minutes before his next class. Now, if no other students came rushing in with complaints. His lunch would had turned out amazing for the first time in weeks.

A knock came to the door, Miyagi groaned and placed his cup of noodles on his desk. "Come in." He never dismissed a student and he wasn't starting now. "Another complaint? I think I might have to write them all down."

"Fuck yes, I have a complaint." Tsumori opened the door and walked inside. "Do something about your new office mate."

Miyagi arched a brow, snorting. "I don't talk to the guy. I am just the venting guy for the students. Why don't you tell him anything?"

"The ass gives me this haughty smug look. Makes me want to smack him." Tsumori sauntered over the Miyagi's sofa and sat down. "I'm not trying to get reprimanded. After Kamijou left, Dean Takatsuki has been too short with us lately. I can't have any complaints on me."

"I'm surprised you're not celebrating Hiroki's dismissal, Tsumori." Miyagi commented as took out his box of cigarettes. "You two were the rivals in the department after all."

Tsumori shrugged his shoulders. "Hell no. The fact I argued with him didn't mean I wanted him to leave. This new guy butts into my classes when it's not wanted. I can't even joke around in my own class without him pointing out I'm doing it all wrong. I've been here  _way_  longer than him." Tsumori rolled his eyes. "How many times do the students come to you?"

"Well...all the time I guess." Miyagi lit up his cigarette and blew out smoke. "The students can't complain to Dean Takatsuki about professors unless it's a legitimate reason. Just because he's strict doesn't mean he can get replaced with someone else."

Tsumori clapped his hands together with a grin. "How about someone claims some bullshit to get him booted out?"

Miyagi smiled lightly. "C'mon, that's such an amateurish way to handle things. Let's just see this semester out. We have a good amount of time left before finals. Hiroki's old students have to worry about passing the class with this new guy. Ready your door for them for transfer requests or asking for any help."

"As the _favorite_ , they will go after you." Tsumori rolled his eyes. "Finals week will be hell." He crossed his legs together as he leaned back on the sofa. "I heard from the grapevine that Kamijou got fired over fucking a high school student."

Miyagi tapped his cigarette into his ash tray. "That's not true. I have heard his comments over the teachers who do such a thing. He wouldn't do some shit like that. I don't believe such rumors anyway. The majority are false without any basis of truth."

Tsumori nonchalantly commented. "Because Kamijou is gay. On top of that, he doesn't go for students. Am I right?"

"Ah, so you knew." Miyagi glanced at him. "How'd you figure it out?"

"I took a wild guess." Tsumori licked his dry lips. "So.."

"No, he doesn't have a hate love thing for you." Miyagi blew another line of smoke.

"Too bad," He grinned and motioned to his whole body. "I'm the whole package."

Miyagi rolled his eyes. "Dream on."

* * *

After they watched a few movies, Hiroki fell asleep. Nowaki had nowhere to go. Nothing appeared in the vicinity or in the town. He stayed. Watching the movie they had left on their list. A comedy Hiroki commented on the chuckle worthy moments. It had a few hours to go and he didn't mind Hiroki snoring next to him. He controlled his giggling and checked on Hiroki. At times, Hiroki's body phased through him. This made him move a bit, just so he wouldn't wake up and take notice of his hand's location. When the credits rolled, he paused it.

"This cake is delicious..." Nowaki looked down, he saw Hiroki moving around. "Fuck...come back stupid Akihiko..."

Nowaki shook his head in amusement. He leaned closer to Hiroki, hearing him murmuring some colorful language in his sleep. It almost made him laugh out loud. Most of it made no remote sense. He assumed Hiroki's dreams had some humorous visuals. On cue, Hiroki's face scrunched up as he gripped his blanket. Turning his body away from Nowaki as he got comfortable on his futon.

Reaching out his hand, he brushed some hair away from Hiroki's face. He materialized his hand well enough that he felt every strand. To his surprise, it was softer than he expected. Much softer than when Hiroki was a boy. Memories surfaced of Hiroki running up to him with a new book in his hands. He came around the town for summer. Days spent exploring the rivers and protecting him from spirits. The Kanno family always had the ability to attract spirits. Some of them saw ghosts throughout their life. Hiroki's grandfather saw him after all. Hiroki still carried this ability with him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't had seen him.

Hiroki changed from the little boy who always caught him on his patrols. He grew into a handsome young man who still loved stories. Nowaki noticed early on that Hiroki stopped coming back to the town when he entered high school. The struggles of life caught Hiroki's whole attention. Never giving him time to wander back to his memories as a boy. With the house, he started remembering what he experienced. He hoped Hiroki pieced things together.

Nowaki pushed back Hiroki's hair, it flopped back in place. Hiroki wrinkled his nose. Leaning into his hand, Nowaki smiled lightly as he took his hand back. His patience was unlimited in waiting for Hiroki. All he wanted was to share their memories together. Spend the afternoons next to one another during his spaces in his patrols.

Just like the good old days.

A spike of energy went off outside.

Nowaki took his hand off of Hiroki's hair. He already missed the contact. A frown clear on his face as he walked over to the window. He closed his eyes. Raising his hand, he calculated the power. He found it. His eyebrow twitched. This was something small. Normal energy from a departed spirit or a wandering one. Although, he miscalculated the levels before. Demons grew craftier every single year. More of them feigned lack of power just to sneak through the towns.

People stopped believing in the supernatural. When something went off in the town, it was brushed aside onto another conclusion. Younger people only feared when they experienced it for themselves. Before then, they went through life without a care in the world. Very carefree.

Depending on the season, Nowaki busied himself with disposing of the evil spirits. Due to the houses having their own talismans, their presence in the home was limited. The town shrine provided more than enough charms to ward off spirits. Recently departed stuck around to comfort their families. They left the mortal plane after a sufficient amount of time. Harmless in nature.

Flickers of darkness appeared in the sky. Dissipating quick. Nowaki narrowed his eyes. He hated leaving Hiroki alone but an investigation was in order. Holding out his hand, a staff materialized, he gripped it. He went through the wall and hurried through the forest.

* * *

"Can I change into your class, Professor Miyagi?" A student bowed in front of him. Pleading in desperation.

Miyagi scratched the back of his neck, he cringed. "I'm sorry but you came past the deadline. There is no way you can change into my class." The girl looked up with tears in her eyes. "C'mon, you can always try next semester." He assured her. "I will note your name down and have you right in."

Through all these requests, he knew he might open another class just to accommodate. He would have to recommend his fellow professors. Then again, he heard they had an ambush of transfers during the last month alone.

"I-I see." She trembled. "Thank you for hearing me out anyway." She hurried out, careful not to slam the door behind her.

Miyagi sighed. "The department needs a meeting about that guy. Stat."

The door opened and the familiar face of the new professor met Miyagi's gaze. Arata Wakahisa was his name. He had annoyance clear on his face. Maybe a hint of anger. He probably saw the student walking out of the office with dejected frown. Breaking his gaze away from Miyagi as he went to Hiroki's old desk.

Miyagi started chewing a piece of gum. He didn't trust his guy enough to smoke in front of him. From the rumors, he reported every little thing to Dean Takatsuki. He might go into Tsumori's shared office and smoke with him. At least, the gum took away some of the temptation. He blew some bubbles. Smacking them. He heard the man muttering about disturbances. Miyagi held back a giggle. It was just gum.

Miyagi twirled his pen. "You won't win any popularity tests if you aggravate the students." He popped his gum. "After all, the rest of the professors already have students begging entry into their classes." The man gritted his teeth as he slammed his books inside of his bag. "Kamijou was a tad strict but he didn't chase away his students. Some actually thanked him for his regimen."

"Your point?"

"Hmm?" Miyagi smacked his gum again.

"What is your point in bringing up a man who got fired from his position?"

"You won't gain any respect through what you are doing." Miyagi glanced at him. "I have gotten the word that you have failed almost  _all_  your students. For a first time professor, that stains your reputation  _fast_. I have done this long enough to know you won't last here."

Wakahisa gritted his teeth. "Some lazy unappreciative students are not going to run me out. This level of work is easy. Too simple. The guy before me was a mediocre bust."

Miyagi twirled his seat to face him, "Considering Kamijou and I shared teaching methods, you are calling me mediocre as well."

"I didn't mean  _you_ -" His eyes widened and he tried defending himself.

"In fact, you are calling the _whole department_  mediocre. We share tidbits between one another as well as gossip." Miyagi informed him. "Watch what you say around here. You have to earn respect around here. And so far, no one is on your side. The ones higher in the rank have nothing favorable to say about you. Just giving you a fair warning."

"I will keep that in mind." He kept his voice leveled but Miyagi saw him struggling.

He hated to relish in the joy it brought him. It didn't hurt though.

Miyagi grinned. "Great! Then, I won't have another student running into my office asking for a transfer right? My classes are too full to accept any more." He got up from his desk and stretched up his arms. "I'm going to grab some juice. Be right back." He left the room, lingering outside when he heard a loud smack. "I know I was a tad harsh but the kid needed to hear the truth."

He whistled the whole way to the vending machines.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Hiroki moved his mug of tea away from his laptop before he spilled it. Countless nights spent on his assignments had him learn not to leave beverages in close proximity to his computer. He counted the amount of times on one hand. Every single time he stopped typing he saved the document, this saved him hours of stress in typing everything over again. He had enough trouble buying a new laptop or trying to get the one he ruined fixed up before his homework was due.

The outline of his novel came out well. He thought about changing the ending when he started the actual writing process. Once he got an idea, he wrote it out before he forgot the initial points and flow he desired for the story. Whenever he tried writing stories as a teenager, he lost his direction after he started. Unlike Akihiko who managed to write stories out of his ass after a little bit of research. Yet, he always managed to turn in his work late. Good thing he had Aikawa edging him on without budging to his whims.

Hiroki considered himself he got into the same company. Marukawa had a high rating due to their amazing mangaka and authors who pushed out stories every so often. They didn't trick their authors into low pay cuts. Hiroki looked through his contract over his pay. Aikawa assured him everything was in top order. Akihiko lasted long enough with them and his only complaint was the deadlines.

Once he resumed typing, he took fifteen minutes intervals in between his typing so his hands wouldn't cramp up. His last instance of constant typing was through making assignments for his classes. After bouts of tendinitis, he slowed himself down. He didn't want to wear a brace over continuous amounts of moving his fingers in the same manner.

Stretched out his hands, he read what he wrote so far. He was satisfied. A nice fantasy story with a dash of drama and action. He knew Aikawa would whine over the lack of BL but he might venture into that area in a different novel to appease her. Besides, he already had a story in mind but the characters didn't come to him. Forcing it out did nothing for his inspiration so he would wait it out.

A shiver went through his body as the wind blew inside from the open window. The weather grew colder which each passing day. Winter around the corner. This meant hot delicious drinks, warm sweaters, but also an abundance of snow. Something Hiroki enjoyed as a child but not as an adult. Memories of his cousins piling snow onto him resurfaced into his mind. He grimaced.

Nowaki phased through the wall and searched the whole room. When Hiroki gave his permission to let him enter his home, he took opportunities checking up on him. Half the time, Hiroki's attention remained on his computer. This time, Hiroki's hands rubbed his shoulders while calming music filled the room.

A mischievous grin formed on Nowaki's face as he got closer to him. He loved making Hiroki a little jumpy, the man reacted in such a funny matter. These joking times made up for his lonely times in the last few years. Almost no one ever saw him unless they were young children who still believed in the imaginary.

Nowaki lowered himself next to Hiroki's ear and exclaimed. "Hiroki-san!"

Hiroki jolted up from his spot on the floor. " _Fuck!_  Nowaki!" Nowaki laughed as he floated next to him. "Do you have to scare me each time you come to see me? Shit.." He closed his laptop and placed his glasses on top of it. "Are you having fun trying to scare me or something?"

Nowaki pouted. "No...I wanted to get your attention. The last few times you were so focused on your laptop."

Hiroki rubbed his eyes. "I am still trying to build the foundations of my story. This is turning out longer than I expected. So, these writing sprees are really helping me flesh everything out."

"I noticed that people keep their attention on them all the time. Just like you. They either type at a fast rate or are staring at it like the television." Nowaki chuckled while he watched Hiroki rolling his shoulders. "Many people are so protective over the smallest little scratch."

Hiroki scoffed as he moved his laptop to the middle of the low rise table. "They are expensive. There is no way anyone would throw them around as if they were nothing. Well..unless that someone is my friend and he buys so much crap."

"Your friend? Oh you mean the man from the other day?"

"Yes," Hiroki got up on his feet and stretched up his arms. "He buys so many toys I am surprised they haven't caved in on him. Although, I have always seen him with this same laptop that he never takes out of his office. So, he must take care of it due to writing his stories on it. In actuality, he is somewhat responsible but his bear collection is ridiculous. He fills most of his rooms in his condo with toys."

"Kind of like the abundance of charms you have in this home?" Nowaki pointed out with a smirk.

Hiroki raised his hand and realized he couldn't hit a spirit on the shoulder. " _Shush_. Those are my grandfather's old charms, not mine." He placed his hand on his own shoulder and rubbed another sore spot.

"Or the talismans outside?'

"Nowaki do you want me to uninvite you?" Hiroki's lips quirked up. "I can always revoke my invitation. I might even bring sacred salt or all some shit like that."

Nowaki sighed in a dramatic fashion. "Oh whatever shall I do, a little bit of  _salt_  will be thrown at me." He fell backwards and floated over Hiroki's table with his hand on his chest. "The pain will be so unbearable. Hiroki-san is such a mean person to me."

Hiroki rolled his eyes with amusement. "I know better than to throw anything at you." Nowaki wiggled his eyebrows. "Because my wall will get a mark or a dent on it when it passes through you." He reached for his tea mug and saw Nowaki's pout. "Such dramatics from an  _old_  soul."

"I'm not _that_  old!"

"Then, how old are you?"

Nowaki stared at him and seconds ticked on without an answer. Hiroki gave him a blank look and waited him to open his mouth. Nowaki avoided his eyes and whistled a tune just to distract Hiroki. It didn't work at all.

Hiroki tapped his fingers on his table and insisted. "Well?"

"You don't want to know." Nowaki answered sheepishly.

Hiroki rolled his eyes with a slight smirk. "Whatever you say, old man." Hiroki stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Anyway," He turned to Nowaki. "Aren't you going to go with me into town? I'm going to grab some food. I really don't feel like cooking today."

"Of course!" Nowaki got close to Hiroki and poked his cheek.

Hiroki narrowed his eyes when he said. "Stop that."

* * *

Hiroki added some cans of iced tea into his basket while he wandered the aisles. At times, he licked his lips when he saw some nice snacks. Although, he knew what he wanted, there was no harm in checking the specials. Back in the city, the overcrowding made him spend less time in the stores. Half the time, he didn't snatch up his favorite meats because the housewives already bought them. He guessed bad luck on his part. Although, this prompted no early visits to the market. He continued on walking around. Besides, he might find something to last him for a few days.

He didn't desire interacting with people in the town. His company came from his phone calls back to people he already knew back in Tokyo. The one person he knew in town accompanied him in secret. Not that anyone saw him. Nowaki split from him when he started looking at the drinks. Currently, he was cooing over an infant near the fish department.

Peeking from the corner of his eyes, he saw Nowaki making funny faces toward the giggling girl. His hands moving around while he smiled the whole time. In some instances, he talked to her. No baby talk. Something Hiroki was grateful for, he never understood why people did it to their kids. Not even his cousins did it with their own. The mother of the infant kept busy with differentiating between two different fish. Her face impassive while checking on her daughter.

Grabbing a few more cans, Hiroki went to the produce section and grabbed some fruit. Then, picked up some ready made food that he would nuke in the microwave. This new life brought in a new set of laziness but he made sure to never leave the house a mess. Despite the fact he owned it, there were still feelings of nostalgia. Thinking about his grandparents tending to countless areas brought up nice memories.

His visits to the woods reappeared in his mind. Wandering through different areas. In the process, getting dirty and a heavy reprimand from his grandmother. Carrying a flashlight when he traveled through those rare nights when he sneaked out. He thought of the glee he felt when he wandered toward someone. Reaching his hand to grab their hand and he missed.

Rubbing his temples, Hiroki grimaced. Something was missing from his mind. His memories went into a blur when he tried diving back even further. Nothing resurfaced or even made him come to a realization. Sighing, he turned toward the direction of the registers. Thinking about it too much would irritate him.

He placed his basket onto the counter. Then, checked his wallet for his card so he didn't waste precious time searching for it. He wanted to get out of there fast.

"Here you are!" Nowaki exclaimed as he stopped beside Hiroki at the register. "I thought you had left me here."

Hiroki kept himself together and tried not to flinch. He breathed through his nose and turned to Nowaki. He quickly motioned him to shut up but Nowaki's attention went toward an ad on the wall. The cashier didn't notice anything wrong as she kept scanning the items. Her eyes went from the screen and the items in her hands.

Nowaki checked on Hiroki's grocery items pointed to the junk food. "Aren't those bad for you? Hiroki-san?"

Hiroki's eyebrow twitched as he coughed into his hand. Nowaki had to shut up before he snapped at him. Nothing good went to someone who yelled at nothing but air. He was in a small town where rumors spread.

After everything was done, Hiroki left the store in a hurry. "You know I can't answer in public!" He whispered under his breath.

Nowaki scratched the back of his head. "I forgot there for a minute. I kind of felt like a normal person now that you are talking to me."

Hiroki held the bags closer to his chest as he sighed. "I get it..damn how long have you gone without someone talking to you? I mean real conversation not making faces at children." His heart dropped when he saw Nowaki's crestfallen face.

"Almost twenty years."

* * *

Nowaki stood at the entrance hall, staring at all the photos. Spending seconds on each one. Smiling at some of the antics provided. His heart filled with amusement at catching one where Hiroki stood in between his cousins. Squished into a tight hug. Hiroki smiled despite the discomfort. At least, he humored his cousins during their visits. Nowaki remembered their mischief whenever they stayed for the summer. They never caught glimpses of him when he tailed after them for their protection in the forest.

Speaking of the forest, Nowaki found traces of the spirit. He classified it as a rouge demonic type. No glimpses of the appearance so far. It went near the main town. Lingering on certain areas of high attendances of people. Nowaki feared it might strike during one of his distractions. Or even during his visits with Hiroki.

Although, he placed high quantities of his energy throughout the perimeter. Giving the spirit a clue on giving up on its stake outs. It didn't stop it from activating them whenever he was busy. Also, the monks always kept a sacred bell which moved when a threatening spirit passed through the town. It rung when something went through his own posts. It went off a few times during the last month.

Spike went through the outer stake and Nowaki shivered. A bell sounded throughout the distance. It kept on going a few times before it stopped. He snapped his head toward the direction of the interruption. His eyes narrowed. Curling his hand, energy gathered in his hand and a sword appeared.

He had to deal with this thing once and for all.

"I can't believe I forgot to take this out!" Hiroki yelled from the kitchen. "I might as well do it now before I forget."

Nowaki heard Hiroki's footsteps echoing through the home. Growing louder and closer toward his location. A realization went into his mind, knowing full well Hiroki was about to leave.

The sword disappeared from Nowaki's hand.

Hiroki couldn't leave until he deemed it safe.

* * *

Hiroki held his trash bags in his hands as he ran through the house. When he checked the clock on his return and then the day, he almost panicked. He knew he might miss another garbage day again. Having overslept the week before, the bags collected in the kitchen. The over abundance of pre-made food from the market had him separate even more garbage in their right containers.

He cringed at hearing his own loud footsteps but he couldn't help it. He turned toward the hallway for the front door, dropping the bags into the floor. He readied himself to hop down the step to search for some shoes. Until, he jumped back when Nowaki materialized in front of him.

Hiroki groaned. "What are you doing? Shit. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Going through Nowaki, he went to his shoe rack, rummaging through to find a pair. "I have to put all these damn bags at the garbage site before I forget."

Nowaki told him, "Please, don't go outside tonight. Stay inside for the night." He moved in front of the door with his hands in front of him. "Trust me on this, you don't want to go out there."

"Don't go outside?" Hiroki arched a brow. "I can go where ever I want, you are not my keeper."

Nowaki explained in exasperation. "Hiroki-san, there is a malevolent spirit wandering around the forest. I have kept an eye on it and it has not moved along. It's much safer for you to stay inside."

Hiroki arched a brow as he put on his shoes. "I am going through the main road. Nowhere near the main area of the forest. No need to worry about me, I practiced kendo since childhood."

"It doesn't matter, look-" Nowaki stood firm. "Trust me, you don't want to mess with it. There's a high chance you can see this entity and it will come after you. You see me just fine and you probably have high sensitivity if that's the case."

Hiroki tilted his head. "Wait...I don't see _every_ single ghost. I lived in a highly populated city where there are stories of spirits all the time. Even the university I worked in has paranormal activity happen during certain times. I never saw anything which made me see a spirit. Explain that."

Nowaki furrowed his eyebrows."I have no idea why you weren't able to see them." He gulped. "Do you remember the last time you saw a spirit?"

Hiroki's immediate response made Nowaki's face drop. "Until I came into this town again. Why? Does that make a difference?"

"Your grandfather always saw me." Nowaki told Hiroki. "Your ancestors saw me. A lot of families in this town used to see me. The decline in recent generations have only turned everything into stories."

Hiroki grabbed his garbage bags and stood up. "I don't remember seeing you around. Maybe I did but my memories as a kid are pretty horrible. I can barely remember a lot of things from back then." Nowaki's hands clenched into fists. "Why not just follow me then? You worry a lot more than my own mother and that's saying something."

"Because you can't physically touch this thing. It can touch you but you can't touch it." Nowaki frowned.

"Yeah, yeah, all that ghost logic." Hiroki scooped up his keys from the counter and opened the door.

Nowaki made one last plea. "Please, I'll even wake you up early to take this over to the garbage area. Just stay here tonight."

"Nope." Hiroki went outside, closing the door and Nowaki phased through it. "You know for a fact I am shit in the morning. It won't do you any good." He locked the door and pocketed his keys. "This is a quick errand. Nothing will go wrong."

* * *

Hiroki noticed no one walked around on his journey into the town. Streetlights were on but he saw nobody. Not one peep. He checked his surroundings and kept his guard up. Nowaki followed right behind him. Not saying a word to him. In the moment, he ignore the stinging feeling of Nowaki's lack of words. The spirit always said something whenever they went anywhere. He didn't answer half the time but Nowaki just kept on blabbering. He tightened his grip on his garbage bags, making a crinkling sound.

When he spotted the garbage area, he hurried along. Taking notice on the bags already placed, it seemed others thought the same as him. Dealing with this chore before the morning. He put his own bags in the far back. He didn't need them rolling down due to a gust of wind. Wrinkling his nose from the smell, he stepped back and breathed in the fresh air.

He shivered and rubbed his arms. "Fuck I should had brought a jacket..." Turning around, he walked down the path he just took. "Looks like I'm bringing out the electric blanket or the kotatsu."

Hiroki looked over his shoulder. Nowaki kept on following him. His lips in a thin line while he searched the area with his eyes. His arms crossed over his chest while keeping a guarded stance. Hiroki turned to face the front, trying not to let his annoyance show on his face. He applied pressure on his arms as he continued on walking. Trying not to address Nowaki and get him to speak.

The silence nagged at him.

A wolf howled in the distance and Hiroki stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes when he heard something going through the bushes. Rustling the leaves and the branches. Creating noise, he turned to each direction of the noise.

"Shit." Nowaki muttered under his breath.

It happened fast.

Passing Nowaki, the spirit went directly to Hiroki. In his shock, Hiroki didn't know what to do. He couldn't hit this thing like he did whenever anyone messed with him.

"Hiroki-san! Run!"

It grabbed his arm. Digging nails into his flesh, panic filled Hiroki's mind as he tried taking his arm back. The spirit covered his face, shortening his breath. Taking it in as Hiroki continued on struggling. Those seconds felt like hours.

Nowaki wasted no time as he blasted the spirit with his energy. It cried out loud and tossed Hiroki to the side. Placing his attention on Nowaki and bolted toward him.

Hiroki slammed against the tree. His breath left him from the contact. Gulping in air, he rubbed his neck and regained control of his breathing. He tried getting up his feet but he hissed from the pain on his left shoulder. Rolling it around, it didn't feel dislocated to him. This calmed down his nerves a little bit. Not by much. A spirit managed to make contact with his body. He trembled as he pulled his knees to his chest.

A bright light surrounded the area, he shut his eyes from the sudden onslaught. Once he thought it receded, he slowly opened his eyes. Nowaki stood in front of him with a glowing sword in his hand. A sense of deja vu went through him. He tried remembering this exact moment. His memory blurred and he went toward an action movie he saw. That wasn't what he searched for and it didn't answer this inquiries.

When Nowaki moved, this snapped him out of his thoughts. He watched him running toward the shape. Running his glowing sword through the middle, slashing a long strip. The entity gave a blood curdling scream. Hiroki blocked his ears. He shut his eyes again. Tuning out the yelling and cries coming from the creature. Not that it helped much. He heard Nowaki cursing under his breath while he heard the rustling of the leaves and a loud smack. His eyes opened, he turned to the right and he saw Nowaki getting up and charged toward the enemy.

Inside of his mind, he cheered for him. He locked his jaw to stop himself from saying anything. His interference wouldn't help the man in the first place. He messed up the moment he walked outside of his home. His eyes twinkled at watching Nowaki work his magic and his skill. Amazed and astounded. He knew of his duties but seeing it in person was a whole different story.

Moments later, he saw the spirit dissipate in a bright light. Hiroki searched around and nothing else popped up from the shadows. Even Nowaki's sword disappeared from his hand into nothing. Silence traveled through the area. Nowaki's bangles and his jewelry made no noise whatsoever. Something which Hiroki didn't know how it was possible.

Hiroki gulped, uttering out. "N-Nowaki-"

"Are you alright?" Nowaki interrupted in a soft tone.

Hiroki rubbed his shoulder, in shame he stared down at his jeans. "Yes...thank you. Look, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I-"

"I understand." Nowaki commented, he crouched down in front of Hiroki's form. "I would carry you but-" He reached out to Hiroki and touched him for a brief moment. "I can barely materialize my hand for long." He leaned close, their noses an inch apart. Struggling in keeping his hand from going through Hiroki's hair.

Hiroki's eyes widened, a bubbling feeling built up in his chest. From their close distance, he noticed specks of green in Nowaki's eyes. He forced himself to snap away from Nowaki's gaze when he stammered. "D-Don't flatter yourself. I can walk just fine." He stood up on his feet and patted down his jeans. "It was just my shoulder. Don't try acting all heroic with me."

He disregarded the odd feeling. What occurred caused him a great deal of stress. Some adrenaline must had still remained in his body and was leaving him at a slow rate.

Nowaki blinked stared up at Hiroki as he walked toward the direction of his home. Remembering a similar incident from years past, he let himself relax. The guardian smiled, deflating the tenseness in his body. Snickering, he followed right after Hiroki.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Hiroki wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Sighing, he dumped the rag into the bucket. He used his break from writing to clean everything for the day. This way, he didn't end up in a writing block. It happened a few times before he figured out that doing small errands helped him snap out of it. He settled it into a regular Sunday routine. Something, he rarely did when he lived in the city. The day dragged on anyway. He felt better doing something productive. Areas where he didn't frequent much were left alone. Cutting his cleaning time in half. Although, he wiped down the surfaces in the enclosed rooms. Leaving the windows open to air them out. He left some air fresheners in specific areas.

His laundry dried outside on a clothesline. A weeks worth of laundry that he forgot through his kick of inspiration. He might replace the old rope with a newer one when it ripped. The clothespin box remained in the same spot underneath the sink. His grandmother kept certain objects in odd areas. He remembered the spot which held the box weeks ago, he moved it onto the cabinet over the washing machine. Afterwards, he made it a chore to check other hidden spots and he found more objects.

His uncles didn't deeply clean the home as they claimed.

He stood in the kitchen, tapping his slipper onto the hardwood floor. The rice cooker contained a large serving of rice. His thin slices of raw salmon remained in the packing and inside the fridge. A quick meal of salmon donburi. Most of the ingredients remained in the cabinets. He wanted nothing more than to dig in and fill himself up before he took a nap. His stomach growled at the thought of the meal.

Licking his lips, he busied himself with grabbing the soy sauce and shredded seaweed. "Good thing I grabbed some chopped up watermelon on my last grocery trip. That will be a tasty dessert for me."

Once the rice cooker beeped, Hiroki removed a bowl and a small plate from the cabinet. He scooped himself a hefty amount of rice before topping it with the seaweed. Pouring the soy sauce into the smaller place, he placed it on the counter. He fetched the salmon from the fridge and opened the packaging. Then, he arranged everything in the bowl.

_Knock. Knock._

"Shit." Hiroki almost dropped his bowl of food and saved it. He pushed it away from the corner before he ran toward the front door. "That better not be any of the neighbors. I'm in no mood for company."

Hiroki kicked off his slippers and put on his sandals. Despite the distance, he didn't want to track dirt back onto the wooden floor. He stopped in front of his shoe cabinet and patted down his hair. Smoothing down his shirt as he inspected the rest of his body. Afterwards, he answered the door. His eyes widened when he saw the familiar goofy smile. Some added wrinkles but still the same man.

Hiroki uttered out. "Uncle Rikei?"

"Hey you little scamp! I heard from Fuyumi that you finally moved into dad's house. It's about time you took on the responsibility. This way the rest of the family can visit you." Rikei rustled Hiroki's hair and held up a plastic bag. "Care for a beer?"

Hiroki didn't hesitate when he responded. "Why not. It's almost four in the afternoon." Hiroki went to the side to give Rikei enough room to walk inside. "Try not to get  _too_  drunk. I'm sure my aunt won't pick you up and just leave you here."

Rikei opened the shoe cabinet and grabbed a random pair of slippers. "Well, you love me enough to let me stay here without complaint. You'll let me sleep my buzz off. Anyway, I don't mind sleeping on the hard floor. Just give me a blanket and I'll be fine."

Hiroki scoffed. "I have no choice. You're family. Besides, you will complain about it to my mother. The next communication will be from lectures and counting off my disrespect." He closed the front door and informed his uncle. "Don't eat all my snacks or you will buy them for me." Rikei hurried past the living room and dropped the bag onto the small table. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah." Rikei cheered as he went inside of the kitchen. "This refrigerator is so  _small!_  How do you fit anything in there? Think of your visitors! You need to add a lot more than ice tea to be a gracious host. Ooooh is that a bowl of donburi!"

Hiroki ran as he exclaimed. "Don't you dare eat my early dinner!"

* * *

Hiroki sipped his beer in complete satisfaction. A perfect end to his cleaning spree. Free beer always tasted better in his opinion. No use wasting his own money. Now, he didn't have to walk back to the store. He hunched as he took another bite of his salmon. Almost moaning in satisfaction at the mixture of flavors. He dipped into the soy sauce and ate another piece. At one point, he wanted to add some egg to it just for added texture.

Peeking from the corner of his eyes, he watched his uncle munching on honey covered peanuts. His face was red from the alcohol. His uncle bought a good brand along with him and didn't skimp on the value. At least, he gave him no reason to complain about his presence. Well, less than the usual whenever he went to any family reunions.

Rikei hooked an arm over Hiroki's shoulder with glee. "Ah—Hiroki-chan." He burped loud and Hiroki wrinkled his nose. "You have done such a wonderful job in cleaning the house. It looks fantastic!"

"Grandpa will haunt me if I ruin it. He's too stubborn and will come back for me." Hiroki gulped down more of his beer. "Don't call me Hiroki-chan."

"Don't be such a spoilsport. At least it isn't the nickname your mother gave you. I'm pretty sure she still uses it to this day." Rikei huffed and he chugged his drink. "You're still a little brat to me. So I can call you Hiroki-chan if I want to. Besides, I'm calling you that in private. It's not like someone is here."

Hiroki checked around. Nowaki didn't pop out of the walls. The bells remained put without any sound. On a regular time, Nowaki passed through his home and chatted. A short time before he went to resume his patrols. He took note that Nowaki didn't return in days. It worried him a bit. Nowaki bugged him on a daily basis which turned into a normal part of his day.

He gulped as he muttered. "Yeah...no one."

Rikei patted Hiroki's shoulder. "Aw why so down? You haven't finished your writing thing? Fuyumi told me all about it during her call."

"It's almost done." Hiroki responded. "Without any huge distractions, I managed to get through most of it. I don't know how Akihiko manages to finish a manuscript overnight. He's ridiculous to procrastinate so bad. I end up stressing until I can't even work properly."

"At least we know your time here at home hasn't been a total waste. Now...let me have a bite of your salmon donburi." Rikei tried grabbing the bowl and Hiroki moved it away from him. "Hey!"

Hiroki chewed more of his food. "I bought the ingredients. I made it and I'm going to eat it. No sharing. Consider yourself lucky that I let you eat my snacks."

"Cruel." Rikei huffed as he ate another handful of chips. "I let you have extra dessert when your father wasn't looking. You know how much of a hard ass he is about your health."

"I was ten and you did the same favor with the girls." Hiroki got up from his spot and went inside of the kitchen to refill his bowl. "It wasn't that special. Anyway, those peanuts and chips will balance out the beer. You're not going to starve. Besides, I'm sure you ate back home before you barged into my house."

"Barged in?" Rikei waved his beer can. "I'm being courteous in welcoming you into town. I bought this beer you are drinking without a care. Knowing you, you haven't had any visitors."

"I've had my new editor and Akihiko visiting me."

"They don't count."

Hiroki breathed through his nose and rubbed his temples. "Okay? Who counts? Because as far as I know, they are real people. Sure, I met Aikawa whenever I visited Akihiko but not to the current extent of the present."

Rikei hiccuped, he rubbed his eyes with his palm. "Hmm...new people." He drank his beer and opened a new one.

Hiroki sat back down on his seat and placed his bowl onto the table. "I have had one visitor so far."

"Really?"

"A wayward person who doesn't visit too often. Too chipper at ridiculous hours while I'm annoyed and sleepy. He enjoys ridiculous comedies." Hiroki swished his beer can around as he kept on talking. "He might be half or something. His eyes are blue."

"Mmmm..." Rikei slumped over the table. "Don't know...anyone like that. I met almost everyone in this town..No blue eyes..."

Positioning his beer can onto the table, Hiroki sighed. "Uncle, you're falling asleep onto the table." Getting up on his feet, he walked around the table in time before his uncle fell onto the fell.

Rikei scrunched up his face. "No I'm not..."

Hiroki scoffed. "You almost fell off the table." He hooked his arms underneath his pits and lifted him up. "Do you want to sleep? I have some blankets somewhere in one of the closets."

" _No_...I want to continue on drinking." He hit his chest with his fist. "I can still drink!"

"Ugh...you're a worse drunk than I am." Hiroki muttered under his breath as he helped Rikei onto the floor. Better there than to have him slip off the chair and crack his skull. "I'll be right back."

Hurrying into the nearest closet, he opened it to reveal a stack of towels and blankets. Old ones he kept in storage which he thought could still be salvaged. Grabbing a random blanket, he went toward the living room to snatch up a pillow. Once he entered the kitchen, he dumped a blanket over his uncle. Making sure it covered most of his body. He placed a pillow underneath his head to counteract the hard floors.

Afterwards, he washed his dishes and laid them out to dry. He tossed the garbage in their proper containers while his uncles loud snores filled the air. The sounding thud of the cans hitting the trash was canceled through the snores. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Already feeling the effects of the beer running through his system, he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Stumbling up to his room, he gathered his futon and a light blanket in his arms before he went downstairs. He laid it out, smoothing out some bumps as he grew sleepier. Falling backwards onto the floor, Hiroki shuffled under his sheets and cuddled against his pillow.

* * *

The light tinkering of bells woke Hiroki from his slumber.

Hiroki groaned. Stretching out his limbs and turned to his side on his futon. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night. Through the haze of his eyes, he noticed Nowaki staring out the window. Normally, he yelled at the guy for waking him up on such an early hour. Through his drunken stupor, he cared nothing about Nowaki breaking into his home. He invited him in and never retracted his invitation.

His presence helped soothe his speculations. He thought Nowaki abandoned him for someone new. Someone less grouchy. Nowaki acquired plenty of opportunities from an influx of people coming back on vacation.

He shuffled his blanket over his shoulders. Snuggling close. He didn't say a word. Content in watching the guardian from his spot. To his surprise, he noticed small little aspects about him. The light scars on his hands. Crisscrossing over his callouses. Freckles on the bridge of his nose which varied in size. It seemed aspects of Nowaki's old life remained alongside him during his job.

A desire to question Nowaki's prior life always came back into his mind. To compare the story his grandmother told him and the words coming from the man himself. He stopped himself the moment he caught a flicker of sadness in Nowaki's bright eyes. Bringing forth more questions about Nowaki's eternal life. To spare an awkward situation, he guided their conversation onto another topic.

Hiroki rubbed his eyes, yawning, he sat up on his futon. He broke the silence of the night in a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

Nowaki turned, his long hair flowing through the movement. "Did I wake you?" Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I keep forgetting that I activate those bells." Nowaki's gaze went toward the man snoring in the kitchen. "I didn't know you had company..."

"My uncle." Hiroki stretched his arms to his sides. "He drunk himself to sleep on beer." He muttered. "I'm surprised my aunt hasn't called his cellphone after sunset."

Nowaki narrowed his eyes and distinguished Rikei's features. "I see. His wife worries about him constantly. She sneaks supplements into his food since he skips the healthier meals she prepares for him."

Hiroki glared at his uncle. "What the hell? My aunt makes some good food. All the people in the family know how to cook decent food. Well, from what I remembered as a teenager. Whatever, I'll give him a tongue lashing when he wakes up. He deserves it."

Nowaki glided over to Hiroki's side and sat right beside him. "You'll anger yourself even more by doing it. Both of you will have headaches in the morning. Yelling doesn't solve a thing."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. I have no such migraines. I've handled multiple drinks without side effects during my university years."

"Just to further explain, I think Rikei likes aggravating your aunt on purpose. He loves her cooking too much to eat anywhere else."

"Sounds like him. In fact, like all my uncles." Hiroki pulled his blanket closer to him as a chill went through his body. "It's a wonder they didn't tease my mother during her younger years."

"Who knows." Nowaki said with an all-knowing smile. "Older brothers love teasing their little sisters. I have witnessed enough throughout the years. Taking away a doll or joking about something embarrassing. Of course, not enough to make them cry tears."

"Not that it pertains to me. I'm an only child."

"Hiro-san, you have cousins." Nowaki brought up the images at the entrance hallway. "From the photos, they seem to have a fun time teasing you."

Hiroki frowned. "Alright, fine, they count.  _Barely_."

Nowaki laughed a bit. Causing Hiroki to laugh alongside him. A snore from the kitchen interrupted them, bringing in silence. Nowaki almost cursed, he momentarily forgot about his initial purpose for the visit.

Nowaki leaned close to Hiroki, his smile faltered. "I have to stay away for a while."

Hiroki gulped. "Why? Is something going on?"

Nowaki explained, licking his lips. "There is an influx of spirits coming into the area. I can't come visit you as often until they are cleared. It happened fifty years ago so I think I can handle this quick. My lack of presence won't take too long."

Hiroki leaned back and snuggled with his blanket, "Try not to get yourself hurt. Dumbass."

Nowaki snickered. "I'm always careful. I've had this position for generations without anything going wrong. You're the one I worry about the most, Hiro-san."

" _Me?_ " Hiroki narrowed his eyes. "Just because that shit happened weeks ago doesn't mean it will happen again. I'm practically a shut in. Finishing a novel takes a lot of my time. Besides, I have to go and grab a weeks worth of food to finish the last chapter. I might have Aikawa come in earlier just to inspect it. Either way, I'm not going out at night if that's what you wondered about."

This didn't make Nowaki feel any better but he resigned. Hiroki remained so hard-headed. "Alright. Just make sure to trust your instincts."

Hiroki closed his eyes. "I'm not carrying a bell around my neck to signal ghosts coming toward me. I won't go out in the dark." Nowaki stifled a laugh. "Don't you dare imagine me wearing a bell."

* * *

Hiroki served himself another cup of his strongest coffee. Stirring in milk and sugar while he waited on Aikawa to finish the last of his product. She sipped her tea. Keeping her attention on the manuscript in her hands. Akihiko sat right beside him, tinkering with his phone while munching on smokers gum. Popping it every so often. After the whole dream scandal, Akihiko left his packet of smokes inside of his car. Describing that leaving his temptation in his car reduced his chances of lighting one up. This brought on the smokers gum he chewed with rigor.

His cousins praised nothing about Akihiko to push him down a peg. Smirks and jokes included. The rest of his family laughed along with them. Akihiko feigned it didn't bother him but he knew it was the polar opposite. This brought out his amusement as he watched from the sides. He struggled not to laugh at Akihiko's displeasure. He favored on commenting on it when his cousins attention wandered onto something else.

It gave him months of material to bother Akihiko. Many satisfying months.

"This is amazing!" Aikawa beamed as she finished the last page. "The suspenseful atmosphere you created in this story is so tantalizing. I stayed hooked throughout the whole story."

Akihiko sniffed. "Odd. Considering, this isn't a BL from the summary."

Hiroki ignored him, he asked her. "There isn't anything off? I added in that open ending because it didn't fit this particular novel. I might write a short continuation. Although, I'm sure most would want the usual marriage, kids, and happily ever after ending."

Aikawa shrugged her shoulders. "You can't please everyone. Believe me, even Usami-sensei gets some mail expressing a distaste for some of his endings. Not that he cares about the responses." She leered at Akihiko. "He should pick up his fan mail so we don't end up with piles at the office. There's some dating back to his original debut."

"Yes, have your slave make a collage out of the paper if you're so disinterested." Hiroki lifted his cup back to his lips and sipped. "Anyway, the whole idea of witches and a possessed mansion isn't something I usually attempt to write."

"I was so surprised." Aikawa added in quick. "A positive surprise I assure you." She carefully rested the manuscript onto the table. "Originally, you described a story set in the Edo period. A future master of a manor who inadvertently saved his future bodyguard from his father. Their romance blossoming through the sakura blossoms blooming in the spring time and consummating-"

Hiroki interjected before she started into a tirade about gorgeous men having sex. "I will write that one after two books. I don't want to get labeled as just a BL novelist. No offense Akihiko." Akihiko smacked his gum. "I will keep my pseudonym for each story I write. Besides, I'm going to try different genres to expand what I can accomplish. Akihiko over here has already done this feat."

"You always give me the best compliments." Akihiko drawled as Hiroki nudged him. "No need to be shy." Akihiko rubbed his face with an open palm. "I have one name I use for the BL novels. Almost no one knows I write about those books. My real name is used for the usual material. I get awards for the usual stuff, the BL is more for fun on my end. To write out all those daydreams I keep having about a certain someone."

"Yes, _I know._  All those books about fucking Takahiro is making your crush so obvious. Damn just confess to Takahiro or make a conclusion to all those novels. One day, he will find those books and figure out who the Takahiro and Akihiko in those books represent."

Aikawa sighed with a smile. "I always wondered when Usami-sensei would go and confess with a bouquet." She drummed her nails onto the wood. "All those scenarios in the novels just make me imagine it."

Akihiko snorted. "He's married now." He unwrapped another gum from the packet. "He never showed any interest in me and his wife isn't so bad. His kid brother is the one who is distracting my focus."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Oh, so you want to fuck the brother now?"

Aikawa coughed and turned her face away. Tapping her chest with her palm as her face warmed up.

Akihiko smirked. "He's not my type."

"Ah, how can I forget? You fall for dense men who wear glasses and is straight." Hiroki sipped more of his coffee, his mind buzzing from the caffeine.

"You can't fight the feeling coming from inside you." Akihiko smacked his gum.

Aikawa reapplied her lipstick while listening to them. She held her compact up while she opened her mouth. Anyone watching her would think she made the most ridiculous. It was one of the few ways she could apply her lipstick without smearing it to her teeth. Once she finished, she noticed Akihiko and Hiroki staring at her.

"What?"

Akihiko tutted. "You won't win any men with doing such a face."

Aikawa retorted. "You win nothing with such an appalling personality." She turned to Hiroki. "Right, Kamijou-san?"

Hiroki put up his hands in a defensive manner. "Don't pull me into your conversation. Duke it out between each other. I insist. Just don't destroy any of the little furniture I have in this house."

"Yeah, Aikawa, I don't need any spirits coming after me. Don't break any shit around here."

Aikawa furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Chapter 9

Hiroki embraced his parents with a big smile on his face. Throughout the months away from the city, he wondered when his mother paid him a visit. She called on ahead but she sometimes appeared at his door. A basket full of fruit or food to settle his stomach. To his surprise, she managed to bring his father along with her. The man clung to his job more than he did at Mitsuhashi. He never left his office during the busier times of the year. His mother always had a way to convince his father to do anything. He showed no grimace or a frown when they locked eyes.

Welcoming them inside, he shut the door and he heard his mother compliment the decor. She lingered on the photos hung on the walls. Pointing at certain ones which caught her interest. His father commented on the embarrassing moments that happened before the photos. He opted to ignore him as he waited for them at the entrance to the living room. They passed him after having a huge laugh at his expense.

Both of them sat across from each other, setting down their belongings onto the floor. Hiroki coughed into his hand to catch their attention. "Since your laugh fest is over, what do you want to drink? Coffee or tea? Just to warn you, I don't have any snacks to offer you. This last week alone has kept me at home."

Soshi answered. "Tea. No sugar. I don't care about the tea you use." He shuffled a plastic bag onto the table. "We brought cinnamon cookies." Hiroki salivated at imagining the flavor. He gulped. "Don't worry about the snacks."

Fuyumi told Hiroki with a smile. "I'll have tea as well but with light sugar."

"I'll put on the water. Be right back." Hiroki hurried inside of the kitchen and prepared the cups of tea. He made himself a cup earlier in the day and stayed warm in the electric kettle.

On his return, the box of cookies laid on the table. Presenting the light crumbly cookies to his eyes. He placed the cups in front of his parents before he sat down with his own cup. They both thanked him before they sipped. When his father didn't complain about his tea, Hiroki relaxed onto his pillow. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed some cookies from the box and started eating.

Fuyumi searched through her bag and revealed the book from its contents. Hiroki's eyes widened at the title,  _Mansion of Mysteries._  His mother bought his book. She either figured out his pseudonym or Akihiko told her during one of their chats.

"Nobuhiro Kanno eh?"

Hiroki flushed in embarrassment. "What better way to debut my stories than to use my grandfathers names? Using my real name wouldn't produce any sales. Someone might connect me to  _Demon Kamijou_  from Mitsuhashi. I might cut off my writing career before it even started." He watched his mother read the summary in the back cover. "Don't tell me you told grandpa before you two made the trip over here."

Soshi smirked. "Of course, he wondered where you wandered off to. He wanted a full explanation on why you haven't called him to wish him a happy birthday." Hiroki hitched his breath, his next phone call would turn into a lecture. A  _long_  lecture. "Most of the family are buying the book to see your storytelling abilities for themselves. They didn't even know you went into writing."

Hiroki rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Wonderful. My phone will blow up once everyone finishes the story. Who knows how long that would take. Everyone is busy with their own lives." He inquired. "How did you two find out about my book? It just came out this weekend."

Fuyumi answered. "Akihiko told us. He saw it in the stores and bought three of them. He explained how proud he was to see your story in the store." She patted Hiroki's hand, her voice laced with pride. "I'm so happy you managed your dream."

Hiroki worried his lower lip. "I had to get fired from my job to even conceive the thought of trying."

"The premise isn't a topic I expected from you. I pegged you as non-fiction genre writer." Soshi sipped his tea, he smacking his lips. "From my limited knowledge in the publishing world, an extensive repertoire gives you an advantage."

"It's what Aikawa-san told me when I pitched her more story prompts. Keeping in one genre is never a bad thing. Although, it's harder to branch out later on. Before I forget, she had a high fascination with the old story about our ancestor."

Soshi thought back on which relative, he told Hiroki countless stories throughout the years. It dawned on him, he responded. "The original Nobuhiro Kamijou? That one?" Hiroki nodded his head. "I see. I don't understand what is fascinating about our ancestor falling for a man. Anyway, since you're going to retell it, change the names. Your pseudonym already has the name Nobuhiro in it."

"I planned on it. I have the journal somewhere in my book collection. I can't mess up any of the scenes I plan on describing in better detail. Not that I know their emotions other than Nobuhiro's journal. Besides, I informed Aikawa that it will come into fruition after the next book."

Fuyumi grinned. "I can't wait to see the look on your grandmother's face. I'm sure it will have graphic scenes to scandalize her from reading it even further."

Soshi coughed into his hand. "You still want to attempt on mortifying her? You how conservative she is about certain matters."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "She doesn't even know I don't like women. I don't really care what she thinks about my books. Grandfather will try to check if it seems legitimate. Most of the writings will include things the head the family already read in the journal."

Soshi deadpanned. "You are telling me the exact pages for the graphic scenes. I don't want to imagine our ancestor having sex."

Hiroki snorted. "I'm the one writing it. Deal with it."

"Ungrateful child." Soshi sniffed, he gulped more of his tea.

Hiroki inquired. "Other than my novels...is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Fuyumi nodded her head. "Yes, something came up through the investigation." She turned to Soshi. "Dear? Care to explain?"

"Motou found evidence which will clear you of those pictures." Soshi explained as Hiroki collected their cups onto the tray. "She had her brother look into the envelope and found foreign fingertips. He identified the variation between you and this girl in the photos. Clear photoshop in his opinion."

"I forgot Motou had a brother in the forensic business." Hiroki muttered.

Soshi continued on. "She spoke with your associates in the literature department. Asking them on the probability of you attempting such a disgraceful act. All of them defended you. Two in particular vouched for you."

"Who?"

"Miyagi Yoh and Tsumori-"

"Tsumori defended me?" Hiroki interrupted his father, earning himself a death glare which made him flinch. "I apologize father. He doesn't seem the type to defend his rival..."

Soshi shrugged his shoulders. "Motou-san explained their interest in this case. They found it odd that you go dismissed and the rumors spiraled from lack of information."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "I'm sure they thought I killed someone and got arrested."

Fuyumi stifled a laugh. "On a different day, I went alongside Motou-san to ask them my own questions. They met us at a cafe so they wouldn't risk their jobs if their boss caught wind of the investigation. Either way, they support you without a doubt."

Hiroki arched his brow. "I understand Miyagi coming to my aid, but, Tsumori? I don't believe that for a minute."

* * *

Miyagi let out a line of smoke in pure bliss. Laying back on the sofa, he basked in the smell and the ambiance of the room. The educational posters didn't sway him from his uplifted mood. He high jacked Tsumori's office after the man invited him inside. Tsumori's office partner left for the day over an upset stomach and went to the hospital. This gave them all the privacy to smoke in the room. Their place at the end of the hall gave them forewarning when someone walked toward their direction.

Tsumori whipped out his usual spray on his desk and opened all his windows. After all, they learned better than to risk getting caught. Their department got hit with the worst of the surprise inspections. He didn't understand but he kept his head low. Complaining under his breath or toward anyone who wouldn't run to the dean with a statement. He sat back down on his seat with a sigh.

Miyagi tapped his cigarette on the ash tray while he gave Tsumori a grin. "Thank you for letting me stay here for the afternoon. I have craved a smoke so bad these last few days. Chewing gum has gotten me nowhere and I'm losing my patience with that guy. You know who I'm talking about."

Tsumori tipped back his coffee can for a drink. "I needed someone to double check my papers in case I missed anything." He motioned the stack on the other desk. "Smoke while you read and correct those papers."

"I don't wanna."

"C'mon Miyagi I'm running late in correcting these papers. You owe me a favor for providing my area to let out all your pent up smoking habits." Tsumori tossed his sitting pillow at his direction, hitting Miyagi in the face. "Besides, we need to stay prepared if someone else gives us an unexpected visit."

Miyagi tossed the pillow onto the floor. "You mean another interview over Hiroki's case?"

"Exactly." Tsumori tossed back his bangs. "Not that I didn't enjoy having two women talk to me but one of them really intimidated me."

"Who? Hiroki's mother?"

"Not her, the lawyer who came along with her. To my surprise, Kamijou's mom was a sweetheart. I don't know where Kamijou got his grumpiness, certainly not from his mother." Tsumori tossed another paper on the pile to his left.

"Either way, it looks like Hiroki was framed after all." Miyagi sighed. "Someone must not have liked him to do this to him. From the looks of the Kamijou family lawyer, they messed with the wrong person." He snickered. "Good thing you never did anything too big to piss him off."

Tsumori tapped his pen on his desk. "The person who annoyed him more was you."

"Hell no! That was you. He complained about your teasing on a constant basis."

"I'm flattered." Tsumori smirked. "To think, Kamijou had a crush on me."

"Dream on." Miyagi snickered. "He wanted nothing more than to keep you far away from him. It seems you're the one who has a crush on him."

"Tolerates. There's a big difference." Tsumori wrote the score on the paper with a frown. "I can't believe this student missed the mark. I gave them such a simple prompt to work with on the assignment sheet."

Miyagi reached out for one of the papers and held his cigarette in one hand. "I learned not to react big anymore. It gives nothing but a headache and grief. All the other professors have the same complaints with their own students. You will get used to it."

Tsumori tossed Miyagi a pen and he caught it with ease. "Since you started reading it, you can start grading them now."

* * *

The chimes of the bells brought out a delighted gasp from Fuyumi. "You still kept those bells!" Getting onto her feet, she went to the nearest window and saw the small bell. For old times sake, Fuyumi tapped the bell. "I used to play with these all the time when I lived here. Half the time, mom closed the windows to stop them from making noise. Not that it stopped whenever we ran through the place."

Soshi finished his cookie and wiped his lips. "I wouldn't handle the noise either. Good thing my family never took upon such traditions. This extra noise does nothing but scare those in the middle of the night."

Fuyumi smiled, touching the bells with her fingers. "You grow used to it. All the houses in this town have them. Any new homes get these places on them along with the talismans. Although, father placed his protection on the outside."

Hiroki sipped his tea, letting out a longing sigh. "I got used to them. It's hard not to when they ring throughout the night. In a way, they lull me to sleep. I even found the old figurine grandmother handed to me."

Soshi furrowed his brows. "Figurine?"

Fuyumi explained. "It comes from the old story of this town. I remember I told you about it when you came along with me. I'm sure you remembered it." Soshi rubbed the back of his neck. "The son from an marital affair who sacrificed himself to save his village. What no one ever retells is the curse which followed the family afterwards."

Hiroki's hand twitched. "Curse? Grandmother told me nothing about a curse. She ended it with the village went to normal and the storms stopped."

Fuyumi wagged her finger. "Oh dear, you never read the plaques at the temple did you?"

Hiroki hunched his shoulders. As a child, he didn't bother himself to reading about the legends. Not when his grandmother told them with such fascination in her tone. Nowaki fit the description given from the story. Although, he brought up other topics which lead up to the original story. The small wooden statue was the perfect starter.

Fuyumi continued. "I thought so. From what I can recall, the son turned against his family. Slowly driving them insane from their guilt on his grievances during his life. The kindness in his eyes disappeared, replacing the once kind man with a emotionless apparition. Any vision of him brought the family news on the next death. The father died a peaceful death in the end. He attempted in making his son's life better but his wife did most of the damage."

Hiroki gulped. The description sounded nothing like Nowaki. He imagined his smooth voice, bright eyes, and loving touch. Someone who made children giggle and loved walking through nature. Nowaki smiled when he watched the birds flying outside the window of this home. Nothing like the callous man he just heard about. Vengeful from his unsettled emotions during his old life. A rightful revenge after giving up his life for others. Others that didn't deserve it.

He thought his mother feigned her story but the seriousness in her face told him everything. His hand curled on his chest. He didn't want to believe it. Nowaki explained to him that he remembered nothing of his past. Throughout his years as a guardian, his memories faded away. His emotions resurfaced when he attempted to focus on those memories. They brought up no happy memories. Those sad blue eyes he caught at one point told him everything.

This worried him.

Nowaki turned into a friend. A close friend who let him rant about the most ridiculous topics. The new story shook his belief of what he knew about the guardian. To his surprise, he wasn't afraid of him. Everyone had their secrets.

He wished to hear his side of the story before trusting anything else.

Soshi shook his head and exhaled. "You never told me this version."

Fuyumi sat back down on her seat. "No one wants to hear that the selfless man fell into his old resentments and placed a curse on someone. I believe he scared them to their demise. They wouldn't have expected him to reappear."

"Yeah..." Hiroki poked at a cookie and stared outside the window. Hoping he caught a glimpse of the ghost. "You guys can stay the night. If you want to stay, it's getting late and it gets dangerous at night."

Fuyumi clasped her hands together. "Well, we don't want to intrude but alright! Let us whip some dinner," She motioned to the kitchen. "Soshi, you're getting up and helping us. You don't have the excuse of exhaustion this time."

Hiroki turned to his father. "You tried getting out of family cooking time?"

Soshi frowned. "I just wanted a bowl of rice with leftovers. She insisted on making an elaborate meal."

Fuyumi peeked from the corner. "Boys, stop delaying and come inside. It's spacious enough for all three of us to stay in here."

Hiroki nodded his head. "Yes, mother."

Soshi got up from his seat. "I'm up Fuyumi. No need to come fetch us."

Fuyumi smiled. "I saw a marvelous cut of cod and mackerel in the fridge. I'll start making the miso soup." She retreated back into the kitchen as both men sighed.

Hiroki massaged his shoulder. "I'm thinking of grilled mackerel. Quick and simple. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Hiroki grinned from ear to ear while he stared at his online bank statement. He pressed the refresh button and the same numbers appeared before his eyes. The first check from his professional writing career. An amazing start and this uplifted his spirits to a high level. Sure, he received a small cut from his short stories but the novel made way more profit. He thought upon making his dream dinner to celebrate the occasion. Half of the ingredients resided in the fridge which added him a trip to the market. He didn't mind. His giddiness overshadowed his usual morning mood.

Aikawa and Akihiko called him while he slept and left him congratulatory messages. Aikawa hinted at the BL story, Hiroki almost snickered at the way she sneaked in the subject. While Akihiko offered advice over managing his time. Hiroki chose to ignore Akihiko's words, the guy missed his deadlines all the time. Although, he felt touched over the meaning behind the words. Akihiko believed in him and knew his story ideas sold well.

Throughout the week, his cousins left him plenty of messages. Bright and positive messages about the content of his book. They expressed their shock about his writing goals. His cousins knew about his love of literature but the writing aspect remained a secret.

From his last observation, the house remained spotless. Nothing to clean and no laundry to wash. A good lazy day where he laid around his home and snored away. Cuddling with his pillow and showing no care in the world. The coffee he drank piped up enough where he couldn't fall asleep.

All in all, the morning started on an amazing note.

He ended up watching some random movie online before his stomach grumbled. Taking the cue to get up, he went into the kitchen and made himself a quick snack. Simple rice balls. Nothing to extravagant before he left to the store. He prepared the rice and filled the contents of the rice cooker before pressing the button to cook it. In the meantime, he assembled the salt water bowl and fillings on the counter.

Once the rice was done, he left the lid open to cool it down as he wet his hands. He scooped a pile out onto his palm and began molding the rice in the proper triangular shape. Some of them ended up as spheres but he would still eat it anyway. While preparing his snack, he nibbled on one to calm his growling stomach.

The winds picked up and caused the bells to jingle throughout the first floor. Hiroki's heart skipped a beat at the noise. Hiroki wiped his hands with a clean towel and checked the vicinity. Hope filled his eyes at the idea of seeing his old friend again. He tried not to seem so eager as he sported a scowl on his face for appearances sake.

"Nowaki-" When he caught no sight of the guardian, Hiroki turned his gaze back to mold his rice ball. "Damn it...where are you? You know I finished my book. You of all people wanted to see the cover." He bit into his food and let out a deep breath.

Nowaki encouraged him through the beginning, listening to his mutterings about the story and imputing small suggestions. He sat right beside him during his harder nights of his continuous writer's block. It broke soon after Nowaki recommended walking through the woods early in the day. Of course, Nowaki followed him just to keep an eye for anything suspicious. The man worried over him due to those evil spirits he talked about.

He shivered just thinking about the dark entity that got a hold of him that one night. Taking extra care of his surroundings, he made sure not to stay out past sunset. He sort of understood why his grandparents insisted they carried sacred amulets when walking through the forest. The talk of the dangers of the forest extended to the boys, not just the girls.

He collected his rice balls and ate them as he returned back to the living room. His mind went back to Nowaki no matter how much he tried to distract himself. This flustered him as he quickly munched down his food and hit his chest when he coughed.

* * *

Fuyumi knocked on the door to Hiroki's old office. She tightened her hold on the plastic bag in her hands and heard noise inside of the room. The door opened and Miyagi waved his hand around and a smell of pine scented freshener reached her nose. She tried not to make a face at the overwhelming smell of smoke but she held it together. Miyagi moved out of her way and motioned her inside.

She waited until he closed the door before she handed him the bag in her hands. She told him with a grin. "Hello Miyagi-san, I already handed one of these books to that Tsumori fellow. He might come around later on today to tell you about it. Trust me, you will enjoy the contents of this book."

Miyagi took out the book from the back and read the title. The cover and the genre seemed out of his element but he might give it a try. "Who is this Nobuhiro Kanno? I've never heard of him."

Fuyumi sing songed. "That's Hiroki-chan. He wrote his own book."

Miyagi almost choked on his spit and almost dropped the book in his hands. "This is Hiroki's book?! He went into the publishing business? When did this happen? I never would have known this was him, the pseudonym caught me off guard."

"His father and I are so proud of him. The family is buzzing about the book and have called him to express their opinion. What surprised him were the positive reviews he received on his first novel. He published a collection of anthologies but those garnered a small percentage in comparison to his first book." Fuyumi boasted. "In the back of the book, you can see which anthology he submitted his work."

Miyagi looked through the pages and smiled, relief clear on his posture. "Looks like he is doing well for himself. He talked about stories but found no time to write them out. Through this whole hidden scandal, I thought he would try going for his father's company. He wouldn't have to worry about going into the job market."

Fuyumi tried not to snort in amusement. "Hiroki is not the business man type. He never wanted to take his father's place in the first place. Soshi realized it early on in Hiroki's childhood. Hiroki wasted his allowance in books and graduated with a degree in literature. He just doesn't fit into the business atmosphere. He's better suited for a career in books. This new opportunity is a perfect fit for him."

"Yes." Miyagi stopped fiddling with the book and held it in his hands. "Thank you for bringing this to me. I would have passed this book in the bookstore. Let's be honest, this genre is not something I associate with Hiroki."

Fuyumi waved her hand. "I understand you completely. The family questioned the fact he wrote this book so well. Then again, it shows that he can extend his talents into other genres."

"Knowing his pseudonym will give me a chance to search for his work." Miyagi added in. "I will buy his books. I have to support my old friend after all."

"He will be so thankful!" Fuyumi took out a notebook and a pen from her purse. "This is Hiroki's address and his phone number. I'm sure he won't mind having you and Tsumori-san _visit_ him." She wrote down the information real quick. Once she ripped the paper from its place, she handed it to Miyagi.

"Thank you. He left no address or phone number when he left." Miyagi pocketed the paper in his shirt pocket with a grin. "I'll try to make a quick visit. Although, I might have to go on a day off. It's a few hours away from the city."

Fuyumi nodded her head. "You won't miss it. There are talismans on the outside of the house."

"I didn't know Hiroki had a superstitious streak."

"Not him. My father." Fuyumi explained. "Hiroki inherited the house when my father passed away. In the will, there was a clause to keep certain items on the house. Hiroki complained about the talismans but to stay in the house, he couldn't remove them. When I visited him with my husband, he grew used to country life."

Miyagi stifled back a laugh. "Hiroki as a country boy? I have to visit him now!"

"Hey Miyagi, I'm back-" A young man opened the door without warning, he froze when he noticed Fuyumi. "I didn't know you had company over in your office."

Miyagi snickered. "It's alright, walk right in."

"That's my cue to leave. I don't want to take away more of your time." Fuyumi waved back at Miyagi as she walked toward the door. "Try to lessen the cigarette intake, Miyagi-san." She addressed the young man. "Excuse me." He moved aside as Fuyumi walked through the threshold.

Miyagi chuckled. "No promises," Fuyumi closed the door. "Your father didn't tell me you returned from Australia, Takatsuki-san."

"I keep telling you to call me Shinobu." Shinobu rolled his eyes. "I returned months ago, I just spent my time going between university and home. I had no time to come around this area." He avoided his eyes and stared at the new materials on the desk. "Who was that woman? Better yet, what happened to Kamijou? Was he transferred to another office or something? That's not his usual crap."

Miyagi set the book onto his desk and moved his cigarettes from Shinobu's line of view. "She's Hiroki's mother. You see, she came the other day with the family lawyer for an investigation."

"Investigation?"

Miyagi hit his fist on the middle of his hand. "You don't know do you?" Shinobu shook his head. "That's right. You haven't come to visit the university in a while. You see...Hiroki was framed with some photos showing him with a female high school student."

" _Shit_." Shinobu hitched his breath. "That's an automatic dismissal until everything is resolved. The accusation alone will follow Kamijou whenever he tries to attempt to take another teaching position."

Miyagi stared at him in surprise. "I thought you would celebrate the fact that Hiroki got fired. Whenever you visited, you didn't look too happy to see him."

Shinobu narrowed his eyes. "Not at all. I have nothing against him. You're mistaking me for his illiterate students. Those are the ones who bored me with their complaints about your old office mate. He seemed decent and cut no slack for his students. Not that I would take his class in the first place. Who's the new professor?"

Miyagi motioned to the sofa and Shinobu sat down. "He's not doing so well. In the first month alone, students have transferred over to different professors. My classes are at full capacity. His teaching methods are way stricter than Hiroki's own. It doesn't help that he doesn't give any sort of leeway to his students whenever they fail in their assignments. There is also a grading curb which brings down the overall class."

Shinobu looked through his phone to check through the university roster. "Arata Wakahisa? Must be a new professor. Father failed to mention him whenever I returned home for dinner." He shifted through the commentary in the university forums. "The students who stuck around have given their anonymous input."

"Verdict?"

"Horrible, incompetent, stricter than Kamijou, the grading curb doomed the majority of the class, need I say more?"

Miyagi rubbed his temples with his fingers, he craved a cigarette badly. "You can stop. I thought the rumors exaggerated certain parts but...the end of the semester rating will get interesting."

"So..." Shinobu checked his phone for any missing messages. "Where is Kamijou hiding out?"

"Countryside. His mother left me his address whenever I get the urge to go on a surprise visit."

"Sucks for him. I wouldn't have the capacity to survive away from the city."

Miyagi snickered. "According to his mother, he settled well in the house he inherited from his grandfather. Want to tag along?"

"Forget it."

* * *

"Hiroki Kamijou is innocent." Motou set down the photos on the desk. "I hired a forensic scientist to look through the photos and found inconsistencies. First, the young girl turned out to be an AV model. A twenty-five year old, not a seventeen year old that the letter stated. The images were cut from a video and manipulated into compromising positions. The quality of both individuals suggested that the photos of Hiroki were shot without his knowledge." She patted down her slacks before she sat down.

Dean Takatsuki tried not to show the embarrassment of the situation. This whole dilemma blew up in his face. In recent months, the students came to him for complaints. The new professor got low ratings online and brought the ire of the literature department. With this outside investigation, he couldn't deny or confirm the rumors flying through the university. He acted without thinking and the accusations turned out to be false.

He generalized his decisions over keeping his staff clear of scandals. From his experience, nothing retained any clear cut image for long. When he first took the dean's seat, a handful of students cheated in their entrance exams. He reprimanded himself for acting so abrupt and without having outside sources go through the evidence.

He gulped and relented in the lawsuit coming his way. "I'm guessing that Kamijou will sue me for such a mistake."

Motou shook her head as she hooked a leg over the other one, "Not at all. He wants to clear his name. His father almost convinced him to go through with the suit for such a huge _misunderstanding_." She peered at the papers on his desk. "My brother found the culprit in this whole spectacle. Different fingerprints were all over the envelope. A stray hair was found in the glue of the envelope as well."

"Who?"

Motou readied herself for a blowout when she answered him. "Two sets of fingerprints other than your own were found on the envelope. Your son, Shinobu Takatsuki and another student from the same university, Jiro Takeshi."

"Preposterous! He would never do such a thing. We raised him with common decency! There must be some mistake in the evidence. He's in university right now studying criminal law. He would never jeopardize his future!"

Motou scoffed. "Sir, my brother has solved cases dating back decades. His team went through the evidence three times due to their protocol. No mistakes. Unless, you can attest for your son's innocence? Would there be a reason for him to frame my client?"

"No! My son has never gone into a deep association with Kamijou." He wiped the sweat from his brow. "My son stayed in Australia for the past year! On his return, he returned to his university and his course work keeps him on campus. Before leaving abroad, he talked with my ex son-in-law but I heard no bad commentary about Kamijou. Is that sufficient enough for you?"

"I'll have the investigative team collect the evidence." Motou tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She stood up and picked up her purse. "I'll give you a phone call with the news."

"Wait!" Motou turned to him, impatience clear on her face. "What about Jiro Takeshi?"

"The investigative team will deal with him. I handed you the photos to present the truth and clear Hiroki Kamijou of this black mark. He might not return to teach but the family wants his best interest. From what I hear, he's made a new life for himself." She hooked her purse over her shoulder. "I suggest talking with your son about Jiro Takeshi."

"I'll prove he did nothing of what you implied."

"We'll see." Motou tossed back her hair and left the office. The sounds of her clicking heels dissipated as she walked further down the hallway.

* * *

"I'm back."

Hiroki stopped typing. He turned his head to his right and Nowaki waved at him. A smile clear on his face with a sense of tiredness showing through. His voice even cracked at the end of his sentence. Almost as if he stopped speaking throughout his time away from him. Hiroki's initial response came out as irritation but relief took over. Nowaki's smile grew. His face must had turned welcoming. He waited so long for his friend to return from his errand. This extended event kept Nowaki away from him.

Nowaki floated closer toward him. His hands stayed in front of his body and he rubbed his fingers. He stopped in front of Hiroki. His smile faltered a bit. He awaited Hiroki's response to his return. In his mind, he hoped Hiroki missed him just as much as he did. He wanted him to voice any sort of emotion. Anything.

Hiroki's lips almost formed a smile, until, he caught new abrasions around Nowaki's hands. He reached out his hand and his hand went through. Cursing under his breath, Nowaki materialized his skin, long enough for Hiroki to touch the surrounding areas. They shared a glance. Hiroki's showed concern. Nowaki tried to keep the smile on his face.

"You don't have to keep on smiling. You're forcing yourself." Hiroki stood up on his feet and smoothed down his wrinkled up jeans. "I can tell."

Nowaki dropped the act and his muscles relaxed. "I'm so sorry I stayed away for so long. Time just went by so fast. I keep forgetting that my sense of time is different than yours."

Hiroki curled his hand to his chest as he turned his back to Nowaki. "You didn't make it in time for the premiere of my book."

Nowaki bit his lip. "How long was I gone?"

"A couple of months."

Nowaki pushed back his bangs from his face. "I...I missed you."

"Oh really?"

"I did! More than you know."

"You're lucky I missed you as well. I think...maybe even more than I expected. Hell...this novel is giving me writer's block because of you." Hiroki whispered his admission while his back remained turned. "You better have a good excuse. I went through all this time without hearing anything from you."

Nowaki reached out his hand and rubbed Hiroki's shoulder. "Those spirits were tougher than I expected. I wanted to protect you and this town from their presence. I had to use more power than I wanted and now I have to conserve my energy. I might have to stay in your home...well...if you would be so kind to offer the gesture."

Hiroki peeked over his shoulder. "You don't have to ask me. You spend your time bothering me anyway. Why not make it a permanent fixture?"

"Really?!"

The enthusiasm was almost blinding but Hiroki confirmed it. "Yes. It's not like you're going to need a room to yourself. The house is a safe haven for when you need a break from your outside work. Just try not to activate the bells so much. I require sleep."

Nowaki collected his energy in his body as he encased Hiroki with his arms. "Thank you so much! I'll make sure not to cause too much trouble during my stay."

An onslaught of soil and musk filled Hiroki's nose. His heart flipped. He assumed Nowaki contained no scent to stick to him. The assumption of a centuries old spirit which smelled of the surrounding area flew out the window. He closed his eyes and let his arms lay on his sides. Relishing in the moment, he failed to notice Nowaki phased half way through him.

"Um...Hiro-san?"

Hiroki slowly opened his eyes. "What?"

"I'm sort of...halfway through you."

Hiroki jumped on his spot and padded forward. He managed to catch Nowaki passing through his leg as he shivered. The act alone made him inch a few more inches away from him.

"How did you not notice?!

Nowaki laughed as he observed around his own body. "I got too excited at holding someone for the first time in twenty years. I guess I lost control of myself."

"Warn me next time." Hiroki huffed. "I don't want to blink and you're going through me. I swear, you'll give a guy a heart attack one day." He went back to his laptop and sat down. "I hear there's a comedy showing on TV. You can watch while I get through half this chapter."

"Thank you!" Nowaki sat down in front of the low rise desk as Hiroki clicked to the right channel. "I'll try not to laugh so loud."

"Laughter doesn't bother me." Hiroki assured Nowaki as he started rapidly typing on his laptop. His inspiration flowed through his fingers while he sneaked glances toward Nowaki's quivering form.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.

Hiroki wiped down his new desk with a lemon scented cleaner and then placed his supplies back onto their place. He grew used to having to deeply clean his home every Sunday. Otherwise, the dust set onto the furniture and it was more trouble to clean it. Besides, he liked keeping the house up to date on everything. The state of the home was his top priority. He brought in a plumber and an electrician to check the interior of the home. So far, nothing seemed out of place and no replacements were required.

He set aside a good percentage of his check in savings before he bought more furniture and any essential items. His parents taught him to save as much money as possible in case of emergencies. Despite his lavish upbringing, they brought down the realities in life. Nothing stayed guaranteed and he needed to think up ahead. Due to his dismissal, his savings proved helpful in setting him up for life in the countryside.

The thought of his coworkers finding out about his new living area brought a snort out of him. They all saw him as a city boy. Where he had no idea how to survive in the countryside and he'd suffer from his new surroundings. A big miscalculation on their part. He spent his summers and free time with his grandparents in their home. His knowledge in handling this home came as second nature to him.

Tossing the rag into the bucket, he stretched his arms above his head. He went downstairs and checked up on Nowaki whose attention stayed on tv. In the morning, Nowaki went on another patrol which lasted an hour. When he returned, Nowaki greeted him again and plopped in front of the tv. Eagerly awaiting another recommendation on a new show to watch.

Nowaki let out a bellow of giggles, he turned to stare up at Hiroki. "It's too bad this is the last season of this comedy. Are there any more like this one?"

Hiroki scoffed. "You are entertained through anything." He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his muscles with his hands. "I'm sure there are reruns which have premiered on that channel. I can always research the listings online. Good thing I finished my writing quota for the day so I don't mind researching on my free time."

"You don't have to spend so much time searching for results." Nowaki fiddled with the bangles on his wrists. "Anything you recommend to me will be fine. I enjoyed the shows I watched so far."

"Alright. Don't blame me if I end up picking something that's not good. I'm usually bad at recommendations. These last few shows were pure luck." He went inside of the kitchen. "Ugh...I'm always cleaning around here." Hiroki hauled the bucket in his arms and placed it underneath the sink. "No wonder I loved living in an apartment. I didn't have to worry about dust collecting on larger surfaces. I never had a need to bring in company to my place."

"You don't have to keep it so spotless. It looks amazing and no dust gathers on the furniture. Besides, your grandfather won't rise from the spirit realm due to negligence. He passed on through the light without any trouble. I watched him leave with your grandmother. She waited for him. He died without any regrets."

"You're just trying to get me reprimanded." Placing his hands on his hips, Hiroki huffed. "You have never gotten hit by a rolled up newspaper. He's ruthless when he's pissed."

Nowaki smiled. "Here I thought you were not so spiritual."

"Well, I can see you just fine. I had some inkling feeling ghosts roamed about, I just never saw them." Hiroki coughed into his hand. "Any sign of that dark apparition you told me about?"

Nowaki answered. "Not at all. All my patrols have given me nothing. Everything is normal. In my opinion, it seems this spirit passed onto another town or it receded from where it came from. Why? Are you worried it would come back?"

Hiroki crossed his arms over his chest. "Well...I wondered what happened to the one that attacked me."

"It's gone." Nowaki assured him. "I dealt with it and it's all gone."

"Good. I don't need to think about that thing while I'm trying to write." Hiroki switched through the channels and saw a happy movie. "This one is more kid friendly. You don't mind right?"

* * *

_Hiroki tripped on a root on his way through the woods. His books flew all over the place as he fell onto his hands. Tears prickled his eyes from the pain as he rolled on his back. He checked his hands and saw some small cuts. When he moved his leg, his knee ached. He imagined his grandparents reprimanding him for not checking where he stepped. The unkempt forest hid plenty of objects for him to trip over. His books had dirt in between the pages!_

_Sitting up, Hiroki wiped the tears from his eyes. He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. Going back with red eyes would tip off his grandmother and she would fuss over him. He saw a familiar red yukata and he stared up into a pair of bright blue eyes._

_"It's going to be alright." A soothing voice told Hiroki as he held his knee to his chest. "Everything will be okay. No damage. You'll live."_

_Hiroki sniffled, he stared down at the scrapped bleeding skin. "Yeah right...Wa-chan my grandma will be mad at my ripped jeans. She will tell mama tomorrow when they have their morning call. My knee is hurting too..."_

_Wa-chan chuckled and ran his fingers through Hiroki's hair. "You just want me to console you. Silly boy. You just need to ask me. I don't mind kissing your cuts and protecting you. That's why I'm here, to shadow your safety."_

_Hiroki hid his face into his folded legs. "You make this dumb face whenever I ask you for help."_

_"Dumb?"_

_Hiroki peeked up and saw the grin Wa-chan sported. "That face. You smile way too much."_

_Wa-chan crouched in front of Hiroki and told him. "Should I frown while I'm with you?" Hiroki shook his head. "But you said I smile way too much. I want what's best for you. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."_

_Hiroki muttered. "I like it when you smile."_

_"Good! I love it when you smile as well Hiro-chan!" Wa-chan hovered his hand over Hiroki's knee. "I can heal it just enough so your grandma doesn't notice. Put your hands out."_

_"She'll still see the ripped jeans." Hiroki watched Wa-chan use his powers to heal his wound. He held up his hands and Wa-chan moved onto his hands. "Well...unless I stuff it in the attic space. I'll bathe and then put on my pajamas before she says anything."_

_Wa-chan tried not to laugh. "This sudden urge to bathe will get her attention."_

_Hiroki turned his attention on his books as he huffed. "Those books are ruined now."_

_Wa-chan waved his hand and the book collected into one pile. "Not exactly. The ground is dry and I'm sure you can dust them off." They landed into Hiroki's awaiting hands. "Just try to bring your backpack next time."_

_Hiroki cradled the books to his chest. "I will! Do you want me to read the story now?"_

_"Sure."_

* * *

Nowaki observed Hiroki moving around in his sleep. A new aspect which Hiroki never did while he dreamed. Whenever he caught him, Hiroki flopped over on his futon and drooled. Growing curious, he floated closer to him. His murmurings grew louder and Nowaki hearing him mutter the name Wa-chan. He leaned in closer and heard the name again. His eyes prickled with tears, Hiroki started to remember the moniker he used when they met.

Rubbing his eyes, he reached out his hand and trailed his fingers along Hiroki's exposed arm. He exuded no warmth from his fingertips. Hiroki's skin goose-pimpled. He sighed. Whenever he spent hours with Hiroki, he forgot about he lived no longer. Losing his focus caused him to phase through Hiroki's body, causing a panic in the novelist. Hiroki confessed he felt like his inner body shivered from the action.

The moment he saw Hiroki kneeling in front of his grandfather's grave, he almost passed through the cemetery. He thought it was a random occupant of the town. Until, he checked the person even further and recognized the child he interacted with throughout the summer. Countless summers of fun where he shadowed him as he traveled along the creek side, a book nestled underneath his arm pit. He almost ran toward him and materialized to hold him tight. When Hiroki's gaze stopped at him, he noticed his distrustful eyes.

This hurt him deep in his soul. The little boy who once ran toward him, sporting a huge grin, trusted him no longer. Once he gained his trust, Hiroki warmed up to him. Faster than he expected but this delighted him. He hoped that some unconscious feeling told Hiroki to place his trust onto him.

Either way, he went out of his way to check up on him. When he saw grandpa Kanno's home, he smiled in nostalgia. The old man saw him around the same age as Hiroki. He saw him grow up and court grandma Kanno. After he grew older, he started chastising him, forgetting the age gap between the both of them. He meant well and loved his family. Although, in later years, the man's eyesight prevented him from seeing him. Not that it stopped him from stapling newer talismans outside of his home.

Grandma Kanno humored Hiroki's imaginary friend. She claimed she had her own when she lived in the nearby town. He knew about that imaginary friend, a fellow guardian, she spoke of the vivacious girl with fondness. In her town, more kids saw this guardian and listened to her advice in staying in groups whenever they left their homes. This carried on into their adulthood.

In this town, the older generation started dying out and the children carried an innocence to the world. These people saw him and didn't question his existence. Hiroki's ability to see him didn't disappear. He didn't know the exact reason. Hiroki told him that he saw no apparitions in the city he used to live in. Maybe a chill developed but nothing formed before his eyes. He assumed that Hiroki's constant stress blocked his eyes.

At the sight of Hiroki's tears, Nowaki moved away from him. His kept his hands to his sides. No use trying to comfort him. Hiroki held his pride in a high standard. The knowledge of someone seeing his tears would embarrass him.

He got up and went toward the window. His attention went toward the bell which signaled his arrival or blew around from a gust of wind. Those chimes gave no accurate report, not when anything activated them. Although, he heard them during every single one of his arrival. Those little bells packed a serious punch when they clanked against each other.

Channeling his power, he spread it throughout the town, beyond the perimeter. Nothing surfaced through his traps or his power. He relaxed in his spot and placed his attention back onto the bells.

* * *

Hiroki awoke to tears trickling down the corners of his eyes. The haze of sleep left him as he stared up at the ceiling of his living room. He wiped his tears with his pillow and held his blankets close to his face. Inhaling the freshness of his blankets relaxed him from his dreams. He reached down and touched his knee, feeling nothing out of place. No injury, no aching.

The nostalgia hit him full force. For some reason, he forgot about this Wa-chan character. When he stopped going to this town, the memories swept away into the recesses of his mind. Stresses of high school and university ran through, taking his attention away from anything else. His life outside of that town reduced into nothing more than fun summers where he played in the woods.

The one characteristic which stuck out about Wa-chan were the bright blue eyes. He remembered his family telling him to stay weary of strangers. More so in the city where the population was higher than in smaller provinces. Wa-chan did nothing to provoke his instinct to run away from him. His calming aura and gentle smile earned his trust. He laid no hands on him.

He turned his head and saw Nowaki poking the bells at his window. His playful smile clear for display. It seemed he strayed away from the attention of the television or returned from another patrol. He guessed Nowaki turned off the tv to stop him from waking up from his sleep.

As he stared at him, he noticed the abundant similarities between Wa-chan and Nowaki. He wracked his brain for a clearer image of Wa-chan. Through waking up, the memories of his dream passed into nothingness. He recollected the peace and happiness at staying at Wa-chan's side. The same feelings he developed when spending time with Nowaki.

Cursing in his mind, he tossed his sheets off of him and sat up. This caught Nowaki's attention as he waved at his direction. Hiroki brushed down his bangs to cover his eyes. He tried stopping another set of tears. His usual method of bottling up everything didn't work. It made it worse.

Nowaki asked him without thinking. "Are you alright Hiroki-san?"

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders before he got up on his feet. He averted his eyes and sniffled. "I'm going to make some dinner. Leave me alone for a while." He shuffled away into the adjacent room, closing the sliding door behind him, leaving Nowaki staring at his retreating back.

Nowaki bit the inside of his cheek. "Okay." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I shouldn't have said that...he hates someone catching him when he cries."

* * *

Shinobu entered his father's office and shut the door behind him. He dropped his backpack on the floor as he walked around a chair. "Can you please make this short father? I have to attend another study group this evening back at T university. These guys get annoyed at people who arrive late. No one likes wasting their time due to someone barging through the doors."

Shinobu's father let out a deep breath and spoke. "Tell me you didn't do it."

"Do what?" Shinobu went to one one of the plush seats and sat down. "If this is about my class transfer, I didn't need that class for my degree. I talked it over with my counselor and he agreed with my choice. He suggested a different alternative class for next semester. I'll have my whole schedule in your desk before the semester starts."

"Tell me you didn't frame Hiroki Kamijou." Dean Takatsuki kept his voice leveled and under control. His disbelief at the thought of his son acting out such a crime took over his thoughts. "I don't want to believe the accusation their lawyer told me but-"

"No! How dare you think I had anything to do with that?! I didn't even know Kamijou was fired until Miyagi told me." Shinobu snapped as he stood up from his seat. "My aspirations are in law! I can't pursue a degree in law through committing crimes! What evidence do they have against me? I'm sure it's nothing which really connects me."

"Your fingerprints were on the envelope." He explained and added in. "And another student from your same university."

Shinobu sat back down. Frustration filled his body and he wanted nothing more than to hit something. He made sure to go through his day without angering too many people. His last name gave people the clue on the identity of his father. Plenty of students asked him about his relation to Dean Takatsuki from Mitsuhashi. He waved them away, they had ulterior motives and he wanted nothing to do with them.

None of the people in his study group stood out to him. All of them remained focused on their assignments and asked nothing outside of their class. They held the same goal in graduating with high grades and get into their respective careers. No one played when it came to their education. Such pettiness left the door when they stepped foot in their university.

Not that it stopped people from sabotaging others.

During his visit to Miyagi's office, the professor explained what happened to Hiroki Kamijou. The photoshopped images landed Hiroki an immediate dismissal from a job where his department respected him. No one spoke ill of the other and traded tips on teaching their classes. Hiroki's sort of rival, Tsumori, liked their competition in keeping a top notch class.

The secret nature of Hiroki's dismissal raised eyebrows. It brought out a protective shield for the literature department. He caught other professors keeping their distance whenever they greeted him. Everyone guarded themselves from revealing anything which might jeopardize their own jobs. Miyagi and Tsumori kept the real version to themselves. Better than revealing anything and making the tension worse.

One thing he knew for certain, he didn't know how to use photoshop. His interest in the arts limited down to projects in school. Nothing to do with his own personal needs.

Shinobu inquired. "Wait...Which student?"

"I think it was a Jiro Takeshi? I'm not sure. I stayed on focus on trying to clear your name. I don't care about the other student."

Shinobu scratched the back of his head. "I don't think I know someone with that name. What type of envelope did this person use for the blackmail? It might help me remember something...anything."

"A manila envelope." He answered. "Try hard to remember. Is there anyone who might want to harm Kamijou? I held him up to a high standard so this whole scenario came as a shock to me. We have to resolve this before the investigators want to involve the authorities into this."

"Wait..." Shinobu sat up straight. "I remember there was this stressed out looking guy who needed envelopes. Something about sending physical photos to a family member in another province. He was in a hurry and asked around my group. I had some left over from when I used to send you guys small souvenirs in the mail so I gave one to him." Shinobu gripped the ends of his sleeves. "That fucking bastard! He is trying to frame me. Such a shit job in putting his own fingerprints on the thing."

Dean Takatsuki felt a weight dropping from his shoulders. "Thank goodness. I feared the worst when that woman told me the findings. I defended your honor against her. I knew you wouldn't jeopardize your future career over photos. I have to know this for sure, do you have anything against Hiroki Kamijou?"

"No! I'm one of the few who thinks he taught his students well. I've met some of his ex students, they thank him for his toughness and prepared them for harder papers. In my opinion, the ones who write bad reviews couldn't handle the course and received a bad grade." Shinobu explained while bouncing his leg. "Is this going straight to police?"

"I'm not sure, she said there were investigators researching this case. I'm guessing they are private investigators who want to solve this case without this breaking to the public."

Shinobu scowled. "I'll provide my school and meeting schedule with my study group. I'm not having that fool ruin my life because of whatever vendetta he has against Kamijou."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Nowaki watched Hiroki add more meat to his hot pot and held back his tongue from mentioning the lack of vegetables. He saw a bowl full of cabbage sitting on the counter. Untouched but washed. During the times he stood behind Hiroki, he wished he had a sense of smell. Anything to contribute to the moments they shared together. Sighing, he turned his gaze back to Hiroki who moved around the vegetables with his cooking chopsticks.

A TV show played in the background to cut through the emptiness of anyone else running through the home. Hiroki thought about calling his cousins for an impromptu reunion. He imagined his cousins would badger him over this sudden career move but he'd tell them the truth. Better than having someone else spread the rumor through the family.

Hiroki caught Nowaki's speculative look before he dumped lettuce into the broth. "I'm not going to waste vegetables. I can already tell you want to lecture about my health. You're not even my doctor...he doesn't nag me this much." He hitched his breath when the hot broth hit his hand. "Shit."

Nowaki hid his smile as he wagged his finger. "I'd put your hand under cold water right now."

Hiroki walked to his sink and put his hand under the faucet. "It's a small little spot. I wouldn't stress over this anyway."

"But you're still following what I say." Hiroki turned on the water to down out his voice. "Ah...how mean." Nowaki placed a hand on his chest as Hiroki kept an eye on his hot pot.

Hiroki turned off the faucet before he went back to his food. He lowered the flame and scooped the broth onto his bowl. "Too bad you can't eat. It's weird having you sit with me and you don't eat or drink. It's sort of uncomfortable." He set his bowl on table before he took out a few cans of beer.

"I can always simulate drinking and eating." Nowaki smiled. "I used to do that with the few kids who saw me. The little girl from a few years ago loved tea parties. She left the town to finish her schooling in Tokyo. I overheard her mother say that she married her college sweetheart this year."

"I thought you said no one talked to you in twenty years." Hiroki furrowed his brows.

"They _saw_ me but they couldn't _talk_ to me. There's a big difference." He averted his eyes. "I can motion my thoughts with my hands but it's a different element when using your voice. I'm sure most of them thought I couldn't speak in general."

"That sucks." Hiroki blew into his soup and started eating, he sipped his beer in between bites.

Nowaki licked his lips. "Back then, everyone saw guardians through natural sight. The belief caused them to see us whenever we were on patrol. Throughout the years, the sight reduced down to the point where individuals saw me. I'm not sure about the rest of the towns. I have met maybe two guardians but they stick to their own areas."

* * *

Hiroki served himself another serving of food and almost knocked it over. Panicking, he caught it before he spilled his food onto the floor. Sighing in relief, he heard Nowaki tell him in a soft voice to be careful.

"Yeah, yeah." Hiroki sipped the broth and then hiccuped. "I know."

Nowaki sighed as he watched Hiroki's every move. "You shouldn't eat hot things while drinking. You're clumsier when you're inebriated."

"Ha! I'll have you know I have the same grace as a swan!"

Nowaki doubted it. "I don't think so."

"Yeah right...there is no way you can remember the last time I was drunk."

"Maybe not but I've checked up on you enough to know you can't go past eight cans. Maybe one more if you ate a hearty meal." Nowaki sighed. "Too bad I can't remember my life before I got this job."

Hiroki tipped back his beer. "You don't remember anything?"

"No. I've tried to recollect my memories. It seems when I took the position, my old life was wiped clear off my mind. Might be for the best. I feel my former life held no good memories for me." Nowaki sighed as he stared down at the vegetables floating in the broth. "I passed the temple on several occasions, thinking something might click, nothing surfaced."

Hiroki frowned. "That sucks. Hell, my memories from childhood are real hazy." Nowaki turned to him in shock. "Once getting into high school, I studied my ass off to get into university. My memories held onto information from my studies so anything else went away. We have videos from my childhood but those were from my parents. None from my summers here...I feel like I'm forgetting something important though."

"Important?" Nowaki egged him to continue. "Like what?"

"A promise. Yeah...a promise to someone..." Hiroki furrowed his brows as he rubbed the side of his head. "I can't remember..."

Nowaki sighed and gave Hiroki a recommendation. "I would suggest not straining yourself to remember. You'll get an even bigger headache in combination with the beer you're drinking."

"Why not? This is going to bother me. I hate it when I don't remember." Hiroki downed his beer and tossed the empty can in the trash. "I might get something through falling asleep. I did get something from when I was a kid. I dropped some books while running in the forest and a guy comforted me."

"Who?"

"Hmmm..." Hiroki opened another beer and sipped. "Wa-chan? Yeah, Wa-chan."

Nowaki gulped. "O-Oh..."

Hiroki glanced over at him. "Did you know this guy?"

Nowaki stiffened, no use lying to Hiroki, he just hated even attempting such a feat. "Yes."

"Really?" Hiroki scooted closer to Nowaki and narrowed his eyes. "Who was he? Because this asshole is somehow getting into my thoughts." He gulped down his alcohol, more than enough to turn his cheeks pink. "Why the hell do I care about him?"

Nowaki's reaction told him everything. Through his drunken stupor, he thought the image of Wa-chan from his mind and Nowaki morphed, creating a perfect match.

"I wouldn't know...maybe you liked him?" Nowaki tossed out.

"Hmmm...maybe..." Hiroki leaned forward and phased through Nowaki. "Fuck!"

Nowaki tilted his head to the side, he asked in an amused tone. "What were you trying to do?"

"I was trying to kiss you, you fool!"

Nowaki's eyes widened as he bit his bottom lip. "Kiss me? Hiroki-san, you are clearly too intoxicated to think straight. How about you go to bed and I can go on my patrol real fast. I think you keep the futon in the closet right next to the kitchen..."

"No!" Hiroki straightened himself as he snapped. "I _want_ to kiss you. Do you want to kiss me or no?"

Nowaki put his hands up. "I do! It's just...Hiroki-san...it's not like I can do anything else. Also..I think you're influenced from the beer and I don't want to take advantage. I want a clear sober answer. We can try tomorrow."

"I don't care! I want one kiss..." Hiroki fell back onto the floor but his pillow cushioned his fall. "Ow...Just one..."

Nowaki hurried to his side and panicked. "Are you okay? Do you need me to do anything? I can heal your wound..."

Hiroki stated with seriousness. "Give me a kiss. That's what I want."

Nowaki sighed. "Alright..." He leaned down and kissed Hiroki's forehead. "There, we can try again tomorrow. You might not want attempt this again without the alcohol but who knows. For now, you need sleep. I'll return in the morning."

"You suck!" Hiroki watched Nowaki phase though the wall. "Come back here!"

* * *

_"I promise I'll come back. I'll share what I learned at school and I will read another story I wrote. Not even my friend read these and he's my close friend in the city." The smaller boy pointed at Nowaki with a serious frown. "Don't you dare forget about me!"_

_Nowaki crouched down to eye level and smiled. "How can I ever forget about you? I'm more worried about you."_

_"Me?"_

_"You'll grow up and more important things will take take over your memories." Nowaki sighed, he hated distancing himself but he wanted no disappointments. His last friend talked to him before he lost a good percentage of his hearing. "I'm stuck here. I can't follow you back home and watch you grow up."_

_"I'm not like those other people! I don't forget about anything! You'll see."_

Nowaki stared into the darkness of the forest, he muttered under his breath. "You remembered eventually...you still held onto your promise." He stood there for another moment before he went to start his patrol of the town.

* * *

Rikei handed Hiroki a bag full of persimmons, he exclaimed. "Another welcome the neighborhood present! Your aunt wanted to bring them herself but she had an errand in the other city. She sends her love and kisses. Next time, she is sending bags of rice from our private section. Maybe even a bag of sweet potatoes, we'll see how the harvest ends."

"No beer?" Hiroki rubbed his temples as he adjusted his sight from the light of the sun. "You two need to stop bringing me fruit and food just to have a conversation with me. Months have passed since I moved in this house. It's nothing new. You two have my personal number."

Rikei shrugged his shoulders. "You know your aunt, she wants to make sure you don't die from starvation. She does the same to our kids but as starving college students they gobble down whatever we send." He saw the bags under Hiroki's eyes. "You look like shit."

"Wow...thanks uncle." Hiroki drawled as he placed the bag on top of the shoe cabinet. "You always know what to say to someone."

"You need to learn to drink better." Rikei tutted. "Go to your drink limit before you start falling over. You're almost thirty, you don't need to drink this much."

"Ha! I can drink however much I want during my break day. I have nothing to do today."

"No writing?"

Hiroki shook his head. "I try not to write every day. I might burn out my motivation but I do note down any new ideas on paper or sticky notes. I have a board where I put everything."

"I'm surprised you haven't gone through bento boxes from the market." He saw the bags under Hiroki's eyes. "You might not want to cook anything for the day."

"I can cook for myself. I didn't just sit and read throughout my summers here." Hiroki covered his mouth as he yawned. "Grandpa and grandma got me in the kitchen and I learned the basics. Mom loved the idea and had me cooking with her on Sundays. I have a cookbook open in the kitchen to prove it."

Rikei nodded his head. "Good, good, you can make me something to eat." Hiroki blocked his way from entering his home. "You're being such a rude host nephew. Invite me in and I'll help you cook." He nudged Hiroki with his hand.

"I didn't _invite_ you in my house." Hiroki snorted, his phone rang and he checked on the contact name. "Shit, this is my editor. I have to take this call. Thanks for the persimmons uncle Rikei."

Rikei extended his arms to his sides. " _Hiroki_."

"Fine." Hiroki pulled him into an embrace and Rikei ruffled his hair. "Thank you again."

"No problem Hiroki." Rikei walked out of their shared hug and jogged down the road.

Hiroki answered the call. "Hello, Aikawa?"

* * *

Nowaki pointed his staff toward a new apparition, he lowered it when he caught eyes with a neighboring guardian. At the sight of a recognizable face, he smiled light. He last saw her decades ago. She destroyed an entity he chased down and almost turned her powers onto him. When she saw his staff, she backed off and introduced herself. Her own protection jewelry consisted of a golden ring and a necklace around her neck.

Throughout the years, he found few guardians throughout the neighboring towns. Their distance caused him to believe that other guardians ignored each other. She started a conversation and continued it whenever they saw each other.

The other guardian nodded in his direction while lowering her own staff. She spoke, her rough voice gaining his attention. "You're following the trail of the dark entity aren't you?"

"Yes." Nowaki held his staff close to his chest. "I got rid of a few stragglers but...nothing to the extreme of the one from a few decades ago. That one receded back into the Earth so...I'm not sure if this one matches the same power level."

"I would wish for something weaker." She tossed back her hair with her free hand. "I spend more than enough time trailing these wayward children."

Nowaki smiled light. "Ah...the good old days. Nowadays, most kids stay indoors with their game systems and laptops. From what I gathered, most are studying hard to travel outside the town and enter a good high school. They don't want to stick around the countryside."

"I've taken notice. Although, they return on their breaks and flood the town with their carelessness." She sighed.

"Before I forget, do you remember Sayuri Kanno?'

"Sayuri Kanno?"

Nowaki thought on her maiden name and further explained. "Sayuri Kurosaki."

A nostalgic sigh came from her lips. "Of course, I remember her clearly. I remember all the people in my town and the new ones who enter through my borders. Why do you ask?"

"She lived in my town with her husband." Nowaki told her as he watched the wonder develop in her eyes. "She lived happy without worries and cherished her children. I never felt any malevolence in her marriage. Her husband was someone who talked to me before he lost his sight. From what I saw, she doted on everyone in her life. Only one of her grandchildren saw me, he now lives in their home."

"Ah...she lived a fulfilling life." She smiled. "I'm happy to hear it. I wondered about the family she created with her husband. She didn't return often to my town for me to figure out anything. After the death of her parents, she had no reason to visit and might have forgotten about me. Now, you're speaking with her grandchild then?"

Nowaki nodded his head. "Yes...I met him as a child but he stopped coming to visit before he entered high school. He sort of forgot about me but I was ecstatic he managed to talk to me. He's slowly remembering everything about our time spent together."

"He forgot?"

"Normal forgetfulness after going through the struggles of life. It happens to all children when they leave this town for school. He originally lived in the city and only visited a few times a year. Plenty of kids grow out of seeing me anyway. I expected as much but it still hurt. I have grown tired of having someone deaf to my words. He listens to me."

"I see." She saw the wistful gaze he sported when he spoke about this young man. "Do you feel anything for him?"

"I care for him." Nowaki bit the inside of his cheek. "He turned into someone important in my eternal life. Not that it makes the rest of the townspeople any less important."

"You know that's not what I meant. Your feelings have shown on your face as clear as day." She rubbed her staff and stared at him in the eye. "For how long?"

"A month after he returned." Nowaki confessed. "I spend so much time with him. Nothing changed from his childhood, we picked up from where we left off. Almost as if he never left. Now, I offer him advice on his stories, he writes for a publisher. I knew he had the talent. He misses me when I leave for too long. It's almost normal...he makes me feel alive."

She asked. "Does he feel the same?"

"I-I don't know." Nowaki averted his eyes, he recalled Hiroki trying to kiss him. A blush developed on his cheeks. "I don't want him to return my feelings. I can only shadow him. We can never develop anything other than friendship."

The guardian understood his hesitation. Their existence stayed linked with their town. No matter how much they loved someone, their lives stuck to their responsibilities. The human in question might grow tired of their differences and find someone else. It happened to another guardian a century ago and stuck to their duties without a fault.

The crops of that town reduced down to the bare minimum.

Watching the forlorn expression creep up the man's face made her pity him. Falling for one of their town inhabitants happens every few decades. The one who stirred the will to return back to the living.

She switched the topic onto more pleasant things.

* * *

Akihiko shifted through the reviews of Hiroki's book and didn't fight the oncoming smile. The pride he felt for his friend came through as he fought having to place his own input. A tad biased but Hiroki's storytelling brought on a new sense of wonder inside of him. He knew his instinct in Hiroki's writing held up through the scrutiny of the public. His own first novel passed well enough where no one knew his actual age. When he received his first award, the crowd stared at him in shock.

The tapping of the knife hitting the cutting board broke him from his musings. Checking over his shoulder, he saw Misaki going through the food prep. Takahiro's younger brother did the housework which included snide remarks to his laziness. He brushed them off as freshman stress. Misaki passed his first semester during the time where Hiroki got fired, dooming his grade to a pitiful level.

Misaki slammed his knife into the carrots he prepared for cooking his stir fry. "Stop lazing around and help me prepare your lunch! I have to leave on a study date right after I feed you. I can't be late."

Akihiko leaned back on the sofa and blew a line of smoke. "Nope. I'll burn down the kitchen and this entire building to the ground. You should know better than to ask me to cook." He hooked a leg over the sofa. "I'm surprised you can even get someone to tutor you. How laughable."

"How's it funny?!"

"You're the one who labeled your study session as a date. I barely managed to elevate you up through my own tutoring sessions." He clicked onto another tab and commented. "Did you read the book I recommended?" He left Hiroki's book on top of Misaki's pillow one night on a whim. Misaki read manga but he wanted to see if he actually read anything other than his usual series.

Misaki soaked the thinly sliced carrots and cut up another vegetable into smaller pieces. "You're lucky it wasn't one of your trashy BL novels. I would had thrown it away in the trash alongside your cigarettes. Such a waste of paper."

"Lies." Akihiko smirked. "You have read my books and enjoyed them to the fullest. I noticed some empty boxes of tiss-"

" _Anyway_ ," Misaki explained. "I loved the whole premise of the story. The descriptions gave me a mental image of the characters. Whenever I read novels, the authors either describe too much or too little. The main character didn't bore me or presented as overpowered. I would have liked for some drawn images to go with some of the scenes. I wanted to know that the image I created in my head matched the author's image."

Akihiko finished his cigarette and snuffed it out. "I see. You enjoyed it then?"

"Yeah. I finished it last night before I went to bed." Misaki frowned. "Why are you asking me about it? From the information on the inside flap, this Nobuhiro Kanno is a new author in the market."

Akihiko shrugged his shoulders. "I happen to know the guy and he wants true feedback before he starts his newest novel. He hasn't given me any hints from our recent phone calls."

"You know this guy?"

"Yes. I pushed him to publish his stories. I introduced him to Aikawa and she saw the potential from his short stories. One in particular caught her eye." Akihiko fiddled with his lighter. "Hints of BL and a splash of drama."

Misaki cringed, he declared with obvious disgust. "I'm not reading that short story."

"Your loss, it's quite tragic in the end. Unrequited love and all that."

A wave of sympathy passed through Misaki, he held his own fair share of unrequited feelings. "That sucks."

Their conversation dwindled into nothing as Misaki cooked up the meal. Twenty minutes later, the smell of the food drifted toward Akihiko as he stood up from the sofa. He sat down on his usual seat, just in time for Misaki to place the plates in front of him. The scatterbrained student hurried to change in his room, leaving Akihiko to eat his meal. He assumed Misaki would eat at his study session due to the one serving on the table. As he ate, he heard Misaki fumbling around.

Shaking his head, Akihiko picked up his chopsticks and dug in. He admitted that Misaki cooked real well for someone his age. After all, Takahiro assured him the kid knew how to cook. Misaki spent enough time on his own where he cooked Takahiro's lunches and his own food. At least, he didn't worry about having to call a take out place every single night.

Misaki walked down the stairs in a new outfit. Akihiko held back the urge to roll his eyes at the color coordination. He finished the last bite of his food and collected the plates. The least he could do was wash the dishes. Well, before Misaki started badgering him to do it.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yup. Don't wait up!" Misaki went toward the entrance as he patted down his outfit.

Akihiko trailed after him with a slight smirk. "Before you leave," Misaki hooked his messenger bag over his shoulder. "Nobuhiro Kanno is Hiroki Kamijou." Akihiko pushed Misaki out the door and grinned. "Have fun on your headache of a date." He closed the door in time to hear Misaki's shocked cry.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Nowaki expected Hiroki's distance over that kissing confession. In fact, he assumed this outcome and avoided Hiroki for a about week. Maybe even longer since he lost track of time. He did anything to prevent himself from walking toward Hiroki's home. _Anything_. He tried. How he tried to stay away from him. Nothing happened in town whenever he wished for it to occur which made him unknowingly pass the area. He ended up having to entertain the elderly who humored him with one-sided talk. Enough stories of rambunctious grandchildren and old lovers of grandeur tired Nowaki out.

On a last ditch effort, he observed the woods and again, he ended up at Hiroki's home. Sighing, he walked closer and checked around the vicinity. New additions to the waterlogged talismans showed up on the home. Old ones crinkled and turned light yellow. Ink withered down the paper, staining others underneath. He reached out and touched the pure paper, causing one to break off.

He remembered Hiroki's grandfather started stapling on talismans on his last few years of life. A sense of drive to protect the home, urged him to almost cover his home with them. His children tried talking him out of it but their cries went to deaf ears. Around that time, the priest from the main temple urged the town to add the bells and talismans to their homes. The man just took things a bit too far in his quest.

At the sound of the door opening and shutting, Nowaki jumped on the spot. He heard one voice. Hiroki's glorious voice. The bells rang on the inside. Alerting of his presence. He made a dash for the other direction but a yell stopped him in his tracks.

"Stop right there Nowaki!"

Nowaki gulped, turning his head, he saw Hiroki's furious gaze. Time to face him. No use running anymore. "Hiroki-san."

In an annoyed tone, Hiroki asked him as he shoved his phone into his pocket. "Where the hell were you? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Nowaki flinched, he expected such a reaction from Hiroki. "Hiroki-san...I was busy on patrols."

" _Bullshit_. You were avoiding me. I saw you disappearing whenever I came close to seeing you. I might not see far without my glasses but I saw your bright red clothes. Your freaking jewelry glows from the sun hitting it." Hiroki crossed his arms on his chest, he gave him a glare. "Is the idea of getting one kiss from me that disgusting?" Admitting he desired a kiss embarrassed him but the anger masked over his initial feelings.

"N-No!" Nowaki denied it as he hurried in front of Hiroki. "I thought you regretted saying those words. It's better to have a better reaction when one is sober. Hiroki-san, I'm so much older than you through a vast amount. I'm not even alive. I'm an apparition. You can choose someone else. Someone _better_ for you."

"That's my decision to make. Not yours." Hiroki tapped his foot.

"You...you have endless possibilities for another person to match you." Nowaki motioned to himself. "I can barely materialize long enough to touch anything. Any distraction takes my attention away and I phase through. You showed your displeasure from witnessing it last time."

"You'd react too if you saw someone half way through your body! I never had a ghost go through me before in my life. It felt like I had someone throw ice water on me."

"You will grow tired of these differences between us. Have you ever heard of a human and a ghost making a relationship work?" Nowaki inquired and answered before Hiroki opened his mouth. "To my knowledge, very few manage to work out a decent relationship. One has to die or lead a life away from other humans. Another person will steal your heart and I can't do a thing about it."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes. "My feelings and intentions are not a fickle matter. I care about you. Way more than anyone. It's taken me a lot to come up with this conclusion."

Nowaki hunched his shoulders. "You are so stubborn. Please...understand my perspective. I have remained without companionship for decades. I never humored the thought of someone falling in love with me. Adoration, maybe, but nothing as intense as love."

"My family can attest to my stubbornness." Hiroki stepped forward and stared up into Nowaki's blue eyes. "You should know that more than anyone."

"Excuse me?"

Hiroki declared. "I remember."

"Remember? Remember what?" Nowaki tilted his head to the side.

"Everything." Hiroki reached up his hand and it phased through Nowaki's shoulder. "The fact that Wa-chan and you are the same person. My latest dream revealed everything to me. I feel so stupid for forgetting about the times I shared by your side. You had a lasting impact in my childhood and my early teenage years."

Nowaki bit his lip. "I'm sure it's a caring love."

Hiroki left a gap between the both of them. "I'll be the judge. I mean...you _do_ have feelings for me. Right?"

Nowaki confirmed it with a nod, he crouched down and brushed their lips together. "H-How was that? Did that solve your feelings?"

Hiroki arched a brow. "That lasted a fraction of a second. _Try again_."

Nowaki connected their lips again and Hiroki managed to rest his hands on his shoulders. Feeling the warmness from his fingers seeping into him, he relished in the contact. For once, content filled him and he forgot about his duties. The normalcy of the action caused a tear to cascade down his cheek. His hesitation left his mind, pushing forth his eagerness.

Breaking contact, they stared into each others eyes. Nowaki pecked Hiroki again and again. He loved kissing him. Those brief intervals in between contact, caused his energy to replenish. Giving him more than enough energy to embrace him briefly.

Hiroki stood still, letting Nowaki take control of the situation. He didn't want the moment ruined through his hands passing through Nowaki. The butterflies built up in the pit of his stomach. He imagined a jolt but this feeling surprised him. A good surprise.

Nowaki kissed him once more before he stopped. "How was that?"

"Better." Hiroki turned away from him, hiding his reddened face. "Practice more."

"What better partner than you?"

"Shut up."

* * *

A glass inside of the temple shattered into pieces. A yelp came from the priest who snapped away from his prayers. He turned his head around toward the sound of the noise. His hands gripped his beads, hard enough to leave indentations in his palms. His eyes widened at the sight. That particular glass sat far off from the edge. No way that it tipped over not when no wind passed through the room. He kept the main doors shut during his meditations.

Scrambling to his feet, he left the room to grab a broom and a dustpan in the adjacent room. He returned and saw more shattered glass on the floor. This happened decades ago when a sense of darkness transcended onto the town. The priest before him trembled and housed himself inside of the temple. Afraid of the danger which came from the outside and sent him on his usual errands. Exposing him to an element the man concealed.

He heard from other towns about their uneasiness around that time as well. Other priests and priestesses commented on the unusual behavior of the animals. They ran off in a different direction and even house trained animals escaped. The townspeople grasped the severity and almost left before it suddenly settled. Many thanked the guardian statues which continued on protecting them.

He found faults in believing in such beings but he saw the appeal. Nothing too horrible happened in town when it pertained to the supernatural. Matter of time before the elderly came around to ask for talismans. The overly superstitious still came around during times of peace.

He reentered the room and swept up the shattered glass. Careful not to step on any of it with his socked feet. He slid his feet on the wooden floor before a piece of glass embedded in his feet. Going through an in depth sweep of the area, he collected the mess. He kept an ear out for anyone walking into the temple.

Another glass fell onto the floor and he groaned. He cleaned it up and left the room before he grew frustrated. The bells surrounding the temple rang. _Loud. Deafening._ Stunning him at the intensity. Again, this happened years ago from the rise of spiritual energy flooding the area. Dark energy suffocating those who felt the grip closing around their throats.

Exiting the main temple, a shiver passed through his body. Stopping him from taking another step forward. At the sight of the clouds coming in, blocking away the bright light from peering through. Thick clouds blocked the setting sun. He set the broom against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Not again." He muttered. "Damn..."

* * *

During Hiroki's writing craze, Nowaki stole a kiss from Hiroki. His focused face caught his attention and he craved kissing him on the cheek. Once he did it, he giggled at the sneak attack. He dodged a pillow headed his direction, courtesy of Hiroki. Foolishness developed at trying to avoid the hit as he grinned back at his boyfriend when it passed through his chest. Hiroki glared at him as he resumed typing on his laptop.

Nowaki finished a deep patrol through the town just to remain close to Hiroki for the afternoon. His powers remained on high alert and checked every few minutes. He wanted nothing to disturb his time with Hiroki. Something aggravated him but he pushed it aside as his nerve acting up. His giddiness in returning to Hiroki's side clouded his mind.

Any complaints on the subject didn't pass through his mind. He loved the distraction Hiroki provided with his presence. His riveting comments and gentle smiles. Some of which Hiroki showed during his most relaxed moments.

He accepted Hiroki's feelings and expressed his own. Still showing hesitation whenever they saw each other. Hiroki might give him the bad news. He switched onto someone else. This had not happened which dissolved the tension throughout his body. Their routine went back to normal, the exception of their kisses.

Brief and subtle.

Lingering contact and light touching on the skin.

Everything Nowaki imagined whenever he caught a couple sharing a kiss. The romantic movies expressed a longing afterwards which he felt whenever he left Hiroki to his own devices.

Hiroki's hands hovered over his keyboard, his eyebrow twitched. "What have I told you about distracting me?"

Nowaki smiled pleasant, the dusting on Hiroki's cheeks betrayed his irritation. He inquired in a playful tone. "Not to do it?"

"Exactly." Hiroki caught Nowaki's smile. "You're lucky I'm in the middle of an inspiration streak right now. I have no time to yell at you for interrupting me. It's still fresh in my mind." Tapping on the keyboard, he reread the notes he wrote. "I might end up starting chapter one at this rate."

"You're starting your new novel already? I thought you went into a small break until next month." Nowaki checked over Hiroki's shoulder. "What's the latest muse? A romance?"

Hiroki coughed into his hand. "This is a story about my ancestor."

"Autobiography?"

"Almost." Hiroki scrolled up to the beginning of his novel which held his notes. "I changed the names and filled in some gaps around the information I received from the journal and the story my father told me. As the head of the family, his father told him the same story with limited details. My cousin is taking over the business but my father told me anyway."

Nowaki hovered closer to the laptop, reading the name on top. "Who is Hisao Kurosaki?"

Hiroki informed him. "Nobuhiro Kamijou is my ancestor. He fell in love with his bodyguard. They kept their love a secret from the family and everyone else. No one in the family found out until the untimely death of his lover. In which, he ended up marrying a friend to prolong the family legacy and hide the secret. His journals gave more information about his life when he died of old age."

Nowaki read the notes as he commented. "Ah...so your ancestor continued on loving this man to his dying breath. These types of stories are unfortunate. They live their lives while holding onto the memories of the one they loved. Thoughts stay with their dead loved one. Try as they might, they can never forget."

"Yeah." Hiroki added another detail to his notes. "This happened to my grandfather. Some of my relatives tried setting him up with a girlfriend but he found they didn't compare to grandma. Either way, mom sabotaged a lot of his outings."

Nowaki stared at Hiroki, surprise clear on his face. "I can't imagine your sweet mother trying underhanded methods to get her way."

Hiroki glanced at him. "She tricked me into eating my vegetables through disguising their taste. Mother is no one to underestimate." He checked some papers on his desk to read the descriptions of the characters. "Hmmm...I might have to attempt drawing the characters to get more of a visual for this novel. I did the same with my first story. No one in the family has a painting of our ancestor anyway..."

Out of nowhere, Nowaki shivered. Refocusing his magic, he spread it around the area and found nothing. Narrowing his eyes, he tried not to tip off Hiroki. The author asked a numerous amount of questions if he seemed out of focus or distracted. After the whole dark apparition incident, Hiroki placed extra precautions where nothing of the sort happened again. At least, not to the extent where he almost suffocated.

He watched Hiroki draw in silence. No tension on his shoulders. His whole body, relaxed and content. He turned his gaze toward the paper. Trying hard not to laugh at the stick figures Hiroki sketched out, descriptions were written next to the characters.

* * *

Motou motioned Soshi and Fuyumi toward their seats. Months of gathering evidence and disproving preconceived notions of their son had ended. In a folder on her desk, it held the evidence and information of the young man responsible. Her brother labeled everything before she mixed up anything.

"I have some good news about our current situation." She waited until they situated and gave her their full attention before she continued. "We cleared your son's name. Well, my brother and his associates went through the evidence. They came onto that conclusion. His name is not blacklisted through the universities anymore. He can return to work whenever he wishes."

Fuyumi placed a hand on her chest, letting out a sigh of relief and the pressure left her shoulders. "Thank goodness. Hiroki will be happy to hear about this. He asked me about the situation on our last phone conversation." She knew her son didn't dabble in the illicit activities the manila envelope presented.

Soshi held onto Fuyumi's free hand as he started asking his questions. "How did you clear his name? Will this stay away from the presses? I'm sure Hiroki's ex-boss won't want any bad publicity for this slip up."

Motou explained. "This has stayed under the radar. No news outlet has gotten a hold of this story. The recent celebrity scandal has grasped the attention of the public. The framing of a university professor won't make an impression." She moved her chair around to the side. "I talked with the family of the one who framed your son. They have expressed coming in person with their son to give an apology for his actions."

Soshi huffed. "It's the least their wayward son can do to soothe this situation. Hiroki won't press any charges. He wanted to clear his name and have nothing tarnishing him if he ever wanted to go back into teaching. Besides, he made a new life for himself in the countryside."

Fuyumi turned to Soshi. "Hiroki told me how he started enjoying the home my father gave to him. I think the atmosphere has helped his creative juices stay at a constant level. He hasn't run out of inspiration yet."

Soshi said. "Good thing we sent him there during his vacation times as a kid."

Motou's lips quirked up. "I never expected to hear that a city boy settled well in the countryside. Then again, he had some experience staying in such an obscure area. Does he want to come back to the city?"

"Not at all. He's well established in my father's home. I tried listening for any lies but he is quite content there." Fuyumi grinned. "He always loved going to visit my parents and most of his cousins lived in that town as well. Now, he can do all the noise he wants without having neighbors bother him. That's one of the benefits of having a home in the forest."

"I still can't believe it." Motou shook her head in amusement. "Did you want me to call him? I can inform him about his cleared name and set a date with the blackmailer's family."

Fuyumi informed her. "That's alright, I can call him and have him come back for a few days. Where can we meet these people? I don't think inviting them to our home is appropriate."

Motou said. "I can set up a meeting here in my office. We have a large conference room where we can all sit at a safe distance. More than enough room for us not to feel uncomfortable."

"Thank you for the offer." Soshi cleared his throat. "You can set the date for everyone to meet here. Just inform me on the date and I can settle my work before coming here."

Motou nodded her head. "I'll call the family first thing in the morning."

* * *

Shinobu whacked Miyagi's shoulder with a closed fist. Hard enough where it didn't hurt his own hand but Miyagi got the brunt of the action. Miyagi's flinch gave him a sense of satisfaction. In a way, it stung that Miyagi didn't believe in his innocence. Then again, the fact he gave the envelope to the guy gave a distinct wave of involvement. Not that he ever expressed any anger toward Kamijou in the first place.

He ignored their audience member snickering in the background. His irritation went toward the man in front of him. Miyagi rubbed his arm while giving him a pair of pitiful eyes. It didn't lessen his annoyance.

Shinobu screeched. "You thought it was me who blackmailed Kamijou?! How dare you! You've known me for years!"

Tsumori leaned back on his seat with a slight smirk. Miyagi got the brunt of the college student's wrath and he sat in front of a free show. He watched the whole scene unfold while sipping a strong can of iced coffee. His initial thought of Shinobu having some spunk came true in his eyes. Taking a long sip, he heard Miyagi yelp from another hit to the side.

He knew better than to raise a comment or attempt on breaking up this little spat. Having witnessed Shinobu's fist, he didn't want the kid coming for him.

Miyagi laughed nervously as he shuffled his cigarettes behind him. No use giving Shinobu an eyeful of his little addiction. "Motou-san explained your fingerprints were on there and another guy, well...I sort of thought you had a thing against Hiroki."

"Fuck no!" Shinobu snapped. "I thought he taught well and gave great information for the literature he placed on his list. An acquaintance showed me his syllabus. I would had taken his class for myself. The fact he supported your ridiculous ass is amazing in itself."

Miyagi put his hands up. "Hey, hey, my thoughts went along with the evidence. You can't blame a guy for going on that route."

"At least give me the benefit of the doubt!" Shinobu gazed over at Tsumori who smirked at his direction. Sheepishness crept on him as he lowered his voice. "Either way, I came to tell you all that Kamijou can come back."

Tsumori sat up straight. "We can kick out the other guy now? _Finally!_ Let me grab some boxes to pack his shit."

Miyagi sighed. "It's not that easy. There's no way you can kick someone out. I think the low ratings online have sobered the guy out. He's not that much of an intrusive ass. He doesn't enter my classroom and hijack my lesson."

"Barely."

Shinobu shrugged his shoulders. "Kamijou lost his position and this guy is permanent now. Father wanted you all to know not to hold such tension from now on. Spread the word that no one is in risk of their jobs."

Tsumori scoffed. "Ha! No one is going to ease up. Give it a few months. Even after that time, the other departments are becoming more secretive."

Miyagi rubbed the stubble on his chin. "I have to say, people are swift in hiding their secrets now. Before Hiroki's dismissal, most professors were careless in breaking the rules."

Shinobu stated. "Just like your smoking habits."

Miyagi laughed nervously. _"No._ Who told you I smoked in the office? I would never jeopardize my job over a smoke break."

Shinobu rolled his eyes. "Again, I've known you for years. You obviously hide your cigarettes whenever I come in here. I'm not blind or naive." He motioned to the ash tray beside Miyagi's papers. "You should hide that ash tray before someone else comes in here."

Tsumori snickered. "Told you to hide that thing in your desk drawer."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

On the next occasion Nowaki saw his guardian friend, she appeared with a deep gash on her arm. The dark energy receded from the wound but it remained open. No sign of blood. An empty black hole to indicate a cut. Slowly healing from the natural powers that guardians possessed. Avoiding gawking at her, he stared in her face before his eyes flickered to the obvious wound. Whenever her attention went onto something around them, he peeked yet again.

The intensity of his stare got her attention. She stared back at him. Observing his bad attempts at avoiding on openly staring at her wound. She made no attempts on hiding it from him. Her visit came with a purpose. Better to alert him before he received a surprise. The young guardian let his guard down whenever he felt safe or trusting. She tossed the concept aside centuries ago.

She informed him with coolness, no panic in her voice. "It returned. From my observation during my battle, it grew stronger. Not that it stayed long for me to gain a full report. For the moment, this is the knowledge I gathered."

Nowaki's hand twitched, his worst fears turned into reality. "What? You don't mean...the same one from decades ago?"

The guardian lifted up her arm, cringing as she moved up her sleeve. "That dark energy passed through my forests and I managed to chase it off. I'm not sure if it would return back to my town. I added barriers around my town before it thought about returning. Flimsy enough but holding up just fine. I'm using a majority my energy to heal from this large wound."

Nowaki leaned close to her arm, hitching his breath. Thinking about the pain, he asked her with pity. "Does it hurt? It looks painful to me."

"Not much." She smoothed down her sleeve, wincing at the cloth brushing against her skin. "Using none of my powers for the stronger barriers have sped up my recovery. Otherwise, this healing would take longer. I'll have to stake out at our main temple for a clear view of the town. I suggest you start doing the same. It came around this direction."

Nowaki gulped. "I've felt something popping around the area but nothing close to cause such an injury on your person. I've chased off some weak ones. I might have skimmed on my usual areas..."

Startled at his lack of concentration, she inquired. "Have you done any patrols recently?"

"I have! I do them every single night." Nowaki defended himself. "I happen to cut them a little short before I do something else. I extend my power so I feel any dark power coming around."

"Your loved one requires your constant attention?" Almost phrasing it as a question, she watched him fumble in amusement. "I understand your adoration and desire for him. Although, you have a job to do at all hours of the day. You can never truly have a break with this position."

Nowaki sighed. "I know. I used to balance the people who saw me and went through my duties of this job just fine. Hiroki-san works from home so the temptation is strong. He started working on his new novel which leaves me little time with him. I just want to have enough time with him to tide me over when we're apart. I have to admit, he distracts me."

She held back a laugh. "Handsome?"

" _Yes._ " Nowaki gushed, momentarily forgetting the tense atmosphere he experienced. "He grew into such a handsome young man. I want to stare at him for long periods of time. He might grow irritated with me if I tried." He rubbed his face and whined. "He constantly calls me an old man. I am older than him but he can't push that in my face."

"You're younger than me through bounds." She smiled light. "Have some peace in that fact. Besides, your beloved can't hold such a thing over you forever. I'm sure he's teasing to rouse a reaction from you."

"Can I know your age?" Nowaki flinched at asking a lady her age. He knew women hated it when someone asked their age. "A-Ah you don't have to answer me. It just come out."

She stated. "I don't remember my last name or age to give a concrete answer. I'm certain I'm older than you. I held my position for quite some time. Way before you entered your post. I lost track of the years where I stopped wondering about the exact date. Time passes so fast for me."

Their bodies trembled at the spike of darkness coming from a distance. Birds cawed during their flight into the sky. Giving them an indication of something floating around. An exact location. In the inside of Nowaki's borders.

Staring at each other, Nowaki let out a deep sigh. "It doesn't seem like much in power. An easy task for me to handle before I watch my show." Nowaki tried putting a silver lining to his sudden duty to hurry toward the area near the temple.

"Maybe. Never underestimate anything before you're tackled down into nothingness." She said as she heard young children yelling their delight in the distance. "I should get going and check up on those kids. I had the temple signal a warning bell to stay indoors."

"Thank you for telling me about that spirit." Nowaki told her with a small smile. "I wouldn't want such a big surprise coming at me."

"Anything for a fellow guardian. Now...keep a close eye on your loved one." She warned him before disappearing before his eyes.

* * *

Hiroki held his cellphone away from his ear at Aikawa's squealing. Rolling his eyes, he waited until she made sense. After he revealed the premise of his second novel, the woman screamed into the phone. He predicted her reaction before he uttered the words. Akihiko warned him about her overzealous reactions on romance between two men. At his old job, he caught students reading sordid material in class. A small portion of the books he confiscated showed some taste. Others made him question his students taste in reading material.

He missed clowning the worse books alongside Miyagi on their lunch breaks. The old man stopped smoking during this time and drank coffee to quench his temptation. Giving his lungs a well deserved break from the ash he inhaled during the day. Their laughter filled the air while sharing their lunches and tearing down a bad book. Miyagi made extra to share on certain days and he did the same.

Whenever he left time in between his work, his mind wandered back when he still worked at Mitsuhashi. His department shared stories of students and teaching materials. He sort of socialized with them enough where he knew about their private lives. He never thought of the possibility in university. His guarded wall blocked away people but their shared love of books chipped it away.

Even the rivalry with Tsumori added a slight incentive to his day. The flirt flaunted his newest conquest to his face but Hiroki ignored his antics. Better to invest himself in his class than waste his time on some random one night stand. Although, he received entertainment when those same people came back and slapped Tsumori.

His day brightened when it happened in the morning. He sat in his office, drinking his coffee, when he heard yelling down the hall. It seemed these people wanted to give Tsumori a bad start to his day. He used to hold a small tally on how many came around the literature building throughout the month.

Getting some of her sanity back, Aikawa babbled on. **"You're writing the BL novel?! Kamijou-sensei, thank you so much! I didn't even have to bribe you to start writing it instead of the other one you planned! We can use your horror novel in the next installment. You have no idea how much your sales will go up!"**

Hiroki told her in a slight mischievous tone. "This is to scandalize my grandmother. She knows the story of my ancestor from my grandfather and believed nothing. My father warned me about the graphic nature if I tried writing this story. I'm certain my grandfather will nod at the accuracy." A half truth. He wanted to get Aikawa to stop pestering him for the story.

**"You can start a new line of tragic BL stories which grasp the heart! A story about an unrequited love where one marries someone else. Another where both of them die in an unfortunate accident! The angst! The drama! Ohh I can't wait to read them! Usami-sensei hasn't written a tragedy in years! I'm sure you can write a beautiful novel!"**

Hiroki sighed, he rubbed his temples as he leaned against his sofa. "She's not listening to me. Just talking without an end in sight. No wonder Akihiko mutes his side of the call and lets her express her thoughts. Might as well leave her on speaker and get back to work."

* * *

Hiroki caught a dramatic change in Nowaki's mood. The happy-go-lucky guardian stayed serious throughout his visit. His limited smiles tipped Hiroki off. Nowaki opted for short answers but kissed him when he first arrived. Caressing his cheek, a far away look in his eyes. The guardian stared outside the window of the living room. His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration with his arms above his chest.

This change confused Hiroki. He tried working on his novel but no words surfaced in his mind. He focused his attention on Nowaki, leaving his word document alone. He stopped himself before he commented on this odd behavior. Nowaki held a stressful position in protecting the town. He imagined this sudden down mood came from finding more spirits coming through his borders.

Deciding on a break, Hiroki went inside of the kitchen to prepare his lunch. Simple rice balls to quell his growling stomach. In intervals between making his food, he checked up on Nowaki. He never saw this side of Nowaki. Whenever Nowaki spent time with him, he presented the guise of an easy going guy. Smiling and joking around. Never giving any indication of the horrors of his job.

Satisfied with the amount, he settled his rice balls on a random plate. He'd clean the dish when he cooked breakfast. Snatching an iced tea from the fridge, he went back inside of the room. He put down his iced tea before he sat down on his plush pillow.

Nowaki turned around and addressed Hiroki. "Stay inside for the whole night. No sneaking out for any reason. Don't open any windows or doors."

"Why?" Hiroki moved his laptop in order to set his food in front of him. "Something going on?"

For the first time during his visit, Nowaki smiled. His eyes betrayed the intent of the action. "Nothing to worry about. I'll handle it just fine. This means I have to stay away for the whole night. I have to go back on my usual duties yet again." In order to fluster Hiroki, he winked at him, adding in a glittering smile. "You won't miss me, will you?"

Hiroki scoffed, he felt tired enough not to pry into Nowaki's business. "Yeah right. Try not to get yourself too hurt with whatever you're doing. I'm thrilled you won't watch me while I'm sleeping. I'll have eight hours of proper sleep this time."

Nowaki huffed. "I don't watch you! I'm guarding you while you're defenseless. There's a big difference."

"Guarding what? I'm safe in this house." Hiroki started eating his rice balls while staring up at Nowaki. "Unless, there's something that might break through those talismans my grandfather placed on this house."

"Nothing can come in here." Nowaki assured him to soothe his fears. "Your grandfather purified the house and the talismans have not lost their power. You're pretty much safe here."

"Good. I have nothing to worry about." Hiroki wiped any stray rice from the corner of his mouth and ate it. "How long do you have before you have to leave?"

Nowaki answered him. "Maybe another twenty minutes...I'm not sure. I have so many things to do tonight. Why?"

Hiroki hunched his shoulders and hid his embarrassed face. "Get the clue."

"Oh!" Nowaki figured it out as he brushed their lips together. "I'll give you all the kisses you want before I leave. Okay?" His voice cracked, thinking these kisses might turn into the last ones. Shuffling those thoughts away, he caressed Hiroki's cheek.

"Just continue." Hiroki closed his eyes as Nowaki kissed him again.

* * *

Nowaki summoned his staff when another spike of darkness spiraled past his barriers. The power exceeded the one he defeated earlier in the day. His guardian friend didn't exaggerate on the level it possessed. Strong enough where it needed his weapon to defeat it. The path of the ghost went toward the direction of Hiroki's home. Littered with talismans on the outside, more than enough to push away the spirit from going any further. Protections in each of the homes caused the spirit to careen all over the place.

Diverting it into the forest turned into the option for him. Better to avoid any property damage or any wandering human receiving an attack. Despite the warning bells in the morning, the ignorant still attempted to walk around in the night. He sensed no humans which brought him relief.

Appearing before the large overbearing shadow, Nowaki let out a burst of his power. Gaining the attention of the darkness withering the life in its surroundings. It snarled and growled at him. Glowing red eyes glaring down at him. Nowaki kept his stance as he presented his staff. The spirit cried out in pain, Nowaki knew better than to fall for such an obvious trick of weakness.

Dodging an attack, Nowaki slammed his staff onto the side. It retaliated and scratched his side. To his surprise, he felt a jolt of pain go through his body. Patting his side, he touched no liquid but the numbing pain resided on the spot. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced back at his attacker.

His mistake came from letting his guard down. He fought hard opponents when he first started. After decades of relative peace, he lacked the practice but he still held his fighting spirit. Gritting his teeth, Nowaki allowed his power to flow into his staff and his whole body.

"Please, let Hiroki-san sleep throughout this whole night." Nowaki whispered as he resumed fighting the beast.

* * *

A loud commotion woke Hiroki up from his sleep. It continued on as the bells from the home jingled with fierce intensity. Shaking Hiroki from the remnants of his needed sleep. He sat up and his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. His irritation built up from Nowaki coming in and causing such loud noises. He got up from his futon and hurried down the stairs. Insults laced his tongue. He fell asleep after a long day of writing without a break and Nowaki woke him up.

Checking throughout the home, he didn't see Nowaki popping out of nowhere. He gritted his teeth as the bells continued on. Causing him to flinch. Sticking his fingers into his ears, he double checked the vicinity. None of his windows stayed open or any of his doors. He made sure to lock everything. His old habits from living in the city stayed with him. The lack of crime in the city didn't stop him from locking everything.

A blurring figure passed his peripheral vision.

He turned to the window and saw Nowaki. His staff glowed as he held it in front of his body. The illumination gave the figure a shadow. Hiroki's heart dropped. Recaps of the last encounter with such a spirit passed through Hiroki's mind. No wonder Nowaki became distant in the last few days. He focused on defending the town from the thing fighting against him.

Running to the front door, Hiroki yanked it open. He watched the fight from his position. Giving him a full view of every movement Nowaki made when he swung his staff. He always wondered why guardians didn't transform the staff into a sword. Maybe ghosts couldn't tell the difference between whatever weapon the guardians held in their hands.

The glow coming from the staff made him squint his eyes. He stepped forward. His weight caused the wood on the porch to creak.

"Hiroki-san?" Nowaki turned to him, giving the dark apparition a chance to hit his side. He slammed his staff onto it. "Why are you awake? You shouldn't be here! Go away!" His knees buckled as he knelt down onto the ground.

"N-Nowaki." Hiroki uttered out as he hurried outside as the evil spirit yowled in agony. He crouched beside Nowaki, his hand went through his body and he grit his teeth in frustration. "What can I do? Please Nowaki, what can I do to help?"

Nowaki huffed as he held onto his side. "Go inside." Hiroki hesitated in leaving him and Nowaki exclaimed. "Go back in the house! _Now!_ "

"Fuck that shit!" Hiroki ran back to his home ripped a talisman from the wall. He held it in his hands as he went back to Nowaki's side. "This will protect me, I'm staying here! I'm not leaving you alone again!"

Nowaki yanked Hiroki behind his body, hard enough that Hiroki stumbled on the steps. He waved his hand to push Hiroki even further inside of the home. Using his magic to blow a gust of wind. One more movement of his hand caused the door to shut closed. Turning his attention back to the dark spirit, he charged at it with new found vigor.

* * *

Hiroki clutched the waterlogged talisman in his quivering hand. He heard Nowaki's exclamation muffled through the door. Sounds of pain came from both parties, more so from the dark apparition. Closing his eyes shut, he made no attempts to get up and open the door. Nowaki tossed him inside of his home for a reason. He relented in waiting for Nowaki's signal of peace. Any word of confirmation.

Flashes of a similar experience in his childhood went through his mind. He went through this before. Years before the memories remained in the recesses of his mind. It surfaced when he saw Nowaki fighting the ghost. He saw the scattered injuries all over Nowaki's body. The distress clear on his face.

One humid night, Hiroki wandered outside of his grandparent's home. He carried a flashlight in his small hand while inspecting the surrounding area. His cousins told him about the fireflies coming out. He saw nothing early afternoon and sought the chance to capture some in a jar. He'd let them go right afterwards. He didn't want them to die on his watch.

Nowaki assured his safety. Nothing hurt him in those woods with his presence floating around. He saw him get rid of a small ghost with a wave of his hand. Proving Nowaki's power as a guardian. His friend would swoop in and save him from any harm. This gave him a sense of security to wander. His usual trepidation left his body.

Some invisible force tripped him onto the ground. The grass cushioned his fall and he felt no injuries on his body. When he stared up, he saw a towering dark figure. The glaring white holes bore into his own. His body shook. The light from his flashlight went through the figure. He tried forming words but he squeaked out. It grabbed onto his neck, causing pain and a noticeable bruise to come. Once he managed to scream out Nowaki's name, he appeared in front of him.

He remembered his broad back shielding him from the spirit. The staff materialized in Nowaki's hand. He vaguely remembered Nowaki telling him to run away to his home. Without a second thought, he ran away from the scene. Dropping his flashlight and bolting to his grandparents home. He slowed down when he saw the familiar wooden paneling.

When he saw him again, Nowaki greeted him with a smile. No injuries in sight.

This time, Nowaki showed visible injuries. Cuts all over his arms and his legs. Hiroki tried not to think the worst. Thinking positive thoughts which still ventured into the bad scenarios. Nowaki's power grew stronger throughout their time together. He shouldn't have nothing to worry about.

After ten minutes of agonizing silence, Hiroki got up and opened the door. His hand clenched the talisman in his hands, making a crunching sound. Nervousness ran through him which raised the adrenaline inside of him.

He snapped his head toward the sight of a twinkle under the moonlight. His eyes widened. Collapsing onto the floor, he saw the tear dropped necklace disappearing under the moonlight.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the best.

Nowaki opened his eyes to a blinding bright light hitting him in the face. To his surprise, he thought his defeat brought him an afterlife of nothingness. He thanked everything under his breath. Groaning out loud, he sat up and rubbed his face. He looked down at his worn and torn clothing clinging onto his cuts. The major wound from the battle still pulsated through his body. Burning through his soul and his sense of self. He placed his hand on the spot and focused on healing it.

He gritted his teeth. After throwing Hiroki into his home, he faced off the spirit on his own, knowing full well his strength depleted from a last encounter. He tried not to linger on Hiroki, all that mattered was he remained safe in his home. Having predicted his fate, he wanted nothing more than to protect him one last time.

A female voice broke through his thoughts. " _You woke up just in time."_

Nowaki turned his head and saw a black haired woman sitting on a variety of pillows. She wore adornments all over her body and her hair. The gold and jewels stood out against her pale white skin. Glittering against the white background. Her kimono silks and patterns paled in comparison to the ones he wore. The smells of incense reached his nose.

The atmosphere surrounding her developed into a serene forest with a waterfall in the background. These familiar images brought Nowaki some comfort. The white surroundings brought out his panic at the thought of disappearing into nothing.

Her painted red lips formed a smile as she motioned him to sit down beside her. _"My name is Mitsuki. No last name. Come, sit down."_

Nowaki got up and stumbled over toward her. "I'm Nowaki."

 _"I know and you've earned yourself a couple of favors."_ She explained as she sipped her sake. _"Think of this as compensation for centuries of protecting that town. You've done more than enough and you were due in gaining them. I apologize for overlooking you throughout this time. I have no excuse for my carelessness."_ She handed him a saucer and poured him a serving of sake.

"There is no need to apologize to me." Nowaki moved the saucer around as he stared into the liquid. He saw his wounds healing through the reflection and he sighed in relief. "I'm sure your duties took up your time. Your power relegates my own through heaps and bounds, Mitsuki-sama."

 _"Considering I dealt with two guardians fighting one another, that took a century to resolve in itself. They ended up sleeping together._ " Nowaki tried not to drop his sake. _"I forgot about the town you occupied. Nothing ever happens there and it's due to your diligence in keeping it safe. At times, this is such a thankless occupation. I went through it."_ She gave a humorless laugh. " _I don't even remember my full name. Sometimes no one wants to remember their suffering."_

Nowaki sipped from his own saucer, he didn't want to offend her gracious gesture. "I did everything because I wanted to help. I never thought of having a reward given to me. Something in my spirit has always done things for others without compensation."

_"That is correct,_ _Koizumi Nowaki,"_

Nowaki's eyes widened as his memories of his old life flashed through his mind. He doubled over, his saucer clattered on the floor, holding his head in his palms as tears cascaded down his cheeks. Biting his lip, he contained his screams from the overbearing pain.

Mitsuki hitched her breath as she watched him sobbing in front of her. No use trying to talk to him, his mind went toward the memories. No outside voices reached through this process.

* * *

_Padding down the hall, Nowaki carried his dirty laundry in his arms and tried hiding himself from view. He grew tired of the snide comments and smiling throughout their onslaughts. Best to avoid those people before anyone caught him in a weakened state. His teachers and staff respected him enough to overshadow the ones who wanted him gone. The half siblings who once ran to him for protection, rejected him after their mother's words seeped into their minds._

_His father's favoritism grew obvious through his education and teachings despite his status. His noble mother's status saved him from a lesser fate. More than enough where he received more respect than the other illegitimate children. Not that he thought himself better than them. He greeted them whenever he left the restricting walls of them manor. They developed a friendship before the news came of their true father._

_Too bad his mother died of sickness in his childhood. He remembered her wish for him to lead a happier life. Her disinheritance from her family knocked her from her fantasy of life. In an act of kindness, they let her pack everything of value to help her. She kept one silk kimono and a comb which she wrapped up underneath the floorboards. She sold everything else for buying their limited clothing._

_The last month of her life, he tended to her needs. He prepared her broths and helped her to a corner of the home where she bathed. She struggled through her coughs, denying his help as her wet body trembled from the gusts of wind. They created a makeshift shield for privacy. He did everything possible to provide her comfort. Cleaning their home and buying their daily food from the main market. He thought his involvement helped take a weight off her shoulders._

_When she died, his father stood at the front door, commanding him to pack his belongings. In a whirlwind of emotions, he followed along, carrying his mother's tear dropped necklace in between his clothing. He still carried it in a secret pocket in his yukata._

_He heard two people arguing, this made him slow down his footsteps. A dim light came from his father's room. A separate area for himself, his wife slept in another section of the manor away from him._

_Nowaki lowered his breathing and strained his ear to hear their words. Through the harshness of the storm, this proved quite difficult for him. The howls of the wind, the scratching of branches, and objects hitting the outside echoed through the halls._

_"Use a servant and finish this ridiculous storm." She waved off the dire situation on their hands. "No one will notice one missing person from our staff. This storm has swept many of these people down the river. Too many to count."_

_"That won't work." He drummed his fingers on the bamboo flooring. "They want someone from this family to end their life."_

_"Sacrifice the bastard!" She screeched. "I won't have any of_ my _own sons sacrificed for this damn village. They have done nothing for me."_

_Nowaki held his clothing tight to his chest. From her tone, he knew out of all the children that she meant him. After all, his father sired children throughout the town. The girls received a proper education and a last name. A chance for them to elevate in their downtrodden life. He received a place in the manor._

_Lord Koizumi inquired. "Do you want the villagers to storm into our home and ransack our possessions?" This shut up any more of her rantings as she fanned her flushed face. "I question your ferocity in using one of my other children for this? I don't understand your hatred for Nowaki. He has shown nothing but affection for his half siblings and never insults you in my presence."_

_She slapped her fan onto her open palm. "You favor him over your legitimate sons! You started teaching him about your lordship and the lands. These teachings should go to your sons! Your sons conceived through this marriage."_

_"He_ is _my son." Lord Koizumi arched a brow. "More valuable than the spoiled ones you raised."_

_"How dare you?!" She seethed._

_"I will not hesitate to expel you from my home. Don't forget, I am the lord of this village." She dropped her fan at the sound of his cold voice. "I don't require your presence any longer, you're dismissed."_

_Nowaki scuttled down the hall and didn't stop until he reached his room._

* * *

_Lord Koizumi tried not to show his surprise at Nowaki requesting his audience. Nowaki choose reasonable hours or whenever it pertained to his tutors. Asking for his presence after dinner peaked his curiosity. Through the headache of dealing with his wife, other nobles, and the villagers, he spared the time for Nowaki. He did the same for his daughter who voiced her concern about the families and animals dying due to this weather. He soothed her over with small white lies._

_Nowaki entered inside and bowed in greeting. Lord Koizumi nodded his head and motioned him closer to him. Nowaki knelt onto a soft cushion, he said nothing to the man sitting in front of him._

_Nowaki bowed low enough that his nose touched the tatami mats. "Please honorable father, sacrifice me for the sake of the village."_

_Lord Koizumi almost dropped the pipe he held in between his fingers. "No."_

_Nowaki raised his head and pleaded. "Please! The storm won't stop and it has continued for almost a week. We need to save everyone who still cling onto life. I can't handle staying inside while others suffer outside these walls. I want to honor you through offering my life."_

_A dilemma presented itself in front of Lord Koizumi._ _From the start, he thought on prolonging his answer before the storms ravaged the town. Each time he checked his windows, more homes washed away or another body floated down the river. Complaints of the villagers came in waves whenever he passed the main gate. A permanent headache developed and h_ _is wife's frustrations in staying indoors made her more unbearable than usual._

_As he stared at Nowaki, his denial rested on the tip of his tongue. He tried keeping the village's demand from entering the manor but the staff kept nothing from slipping from their lips. His children complained to him in the beginning before sheltering themselves in their rooms. The possibility of being chosen for the task rose the more they annoyed him._ _He already hinted this end to his wife and she stayed far away from him._

_Out of all his sons, Nowaki came forward to end the suffering of the village. His future plans with him vanished before his eyes. He named Nowaki his heir, the one to take over the lordship at his passing. His will contained his final wishes, ones which he stamped with his insignia and hidden in a locked box. He cared very little for the opinions of the other nobles, not when a suitable heir knelt in front of him._

_An heir who thought about the villagers before himself._

_Wiping the sweat from his brow, he blew a line of smoke. He watched the guards struggling to stay awake. Nowaki continued on keeping his head down, awaiting his answer. His stomach plummeted at his next words._

_Giving a relented sigh, Lord Koizumi waved his hand. "I'll grant you this request. Tie him up and I shall follow you shortly." He masked his despair with a stone face as he tapped out the tobacco from his pipe._

_Nowaki stood up and the guards used ropes to contain his hands together. A blindfold covered his eyes, shadowing everything into darkness. They handled him with care and whispered apologies when they applied pressure to the ropes around his hands. Seconds later, they lead him out of the main room and walked down the hallway. He knew the news spread through the staff far quicker than his father giving the news to the family._

_Sounds of running feet came from in front of Nowaki. He tried not to imagine the identity of these individuals. After all, his overall presence disturbed a small amount of the people housed in the manor._

_He felt a gentle hand squeeze his hand. "Father told me what happened. You don't have to do this." Nowaki relaxed at the sound of his half sister, she treated him well without any influences from her mother. "We can find someone else. There should be another way to handle this problem."  
_

_"I volunteered." She released his hand in what he assumed was shock. "I don't want anything happening to the rest of you."_

_One of his half siblings sighed in relief. "Good, it's him that's getting tossed in the hole and not one of us."_

_Another sneered. "I won't miss him at all."_

_Their hurtful words brought tears to Nowaki's covered eyes. Yet, Nowaki voiced no regret in his decision. Continued on, the guards kept their hands on his back to guide him along. He did this for the people who showed him kindness._

* * *

_Rain seeped through their clothing while waiting for the digging of the hole. The task proved difficult for the man involved. Many servants and guards shoveled the dirt over their shoulders in a quick pace. Attempting to beat the storm beating down onto their bodies. The water turned the dirt into mud, sucking their legs in as they moved around. One man almost sunk into the mud until someone pulled him out._

_Lord Koizumi held a large plank of wood on top of his head in an attempt to shield him from the water. His back soaked through and he tried holding it on top of Nowaki's head. No success. Nowaki's height towered over him and using his arms barely reached the top of his head._

_Nowaki stood motionless beside his father. His thoughts swirled on thoughts of his life. The memories of his mother struggling to farm their food resurfaced. She sold the majority of their crop for their clothing and necessities. Holding her head high, she taught him the lessons of her old life in her family. In case, his biological father recognized him and gave him a last name. The lessons he used whenever he faced the people who stared at him in disdain._

_Letting the tears flow, the rain masked his sorrow but not the heaving of his chest. Despite his choice, he feared death, watching his mother die solidified his phobia. Yet, he wanted to give the town a chance to live their lives out. To share the experience of living a content life._

_"We're done."_

_Nowaki's hand flinched. Without struggling, t_ _he guards guided him to the hole and managed to get him inside without any incident._

_His father pressed his chapped lips on Nowaki's forehead. "Damn it...damn it..."_

_Nowaki's blindfold loosened, giving him a view of his father's grief stricken face. Lord Koizumi attempted to hide his sobbing in between the roar of the storm. His father leaned back from the hole. Dirt sullied his clothes and his hands. A sad state for the regal lord. The guards came in and helped him up from his position but the man denied their help._

_One of the men put his blindfold back on and whispered an apology. A sharp pain formed on the side of his head and he fell onto the floor. As he went into unconsciousness, the rain fell onto him and the cold dirt covering his body._

_When he woke up, his memories from his past began disappearing. He stared down at his clothes, the jewelry adoring his body, everything felt different. His sense of time spiraled out of control and he forgot the day of the week. For days, years, he spent wandering through the forest. Lost in confusion but relief at the sun beaming onto the trees. During this time, he checked around the outskirts of the town._

_His body turned toward a familiar path which lead him to a small decrepit shack. He checked the inside, dust covered the pots and the wood. He returned to this place whenever he wanted warmness. A safe haven. Somewhere where he called his own._

_After a thunderstorm, he went toward a large manor. It called to him. One of the staff members fainted at the sight of him. He tried touching the cook but his hand went through the body. The rumor traveled through the manor as everyone fled from his outstretched hand. He tried asking anyone questions. His voice scared them even more as they scattered toward any place to hide._

_Two decorated men threw their swords at him but accidentally pierced a noble. He heard their screams, calling her their mother. They begged for forgiveness on their knees. Pleading for their lives, wanting to live for their children._

_The woman bled on the tatami mats, her eyes showed her mortification at the sight of him as the life left her eyes. Nowaki felt nothing for her._

_The one person who stayed put was the lord of the manor. Nowaki entered a room and saw him drinking from a cup. His worn face and wrinkles showed his age. He jumped at his silent presence but didn't scream or run from him. A good start. The man motioned him closer as Nowaki stood in front of him._

_He opened his lips and told him. "I'll prepare a temple for you."_

_Nowaki tilted his head. "Do you know me? You feel familiar to me."_

_Lord Koizumi masked his curiosity at the loss of memories with a smile. "Yes. Don't worry, we will make sure to repay for your services. You have protected us for twenty years. It's the least we can do."_

* * *

_A small voice broke through Nowaki's reverie. "Are you okay mister?"_

_Nowaki lifted his head. A little boy with brown hair stood in front of him, wearing shorts and a dark shirt. He held a book in his small hands. Bandages on his knees. He guessed he was about six or seven. Old enough to walk on his own without supervision around the forest. He heard mothers lecturing their children on wandering on their own but they tuned them out._

_Children loved exploring the outdoors. More so, when something gathered their interest. He shielded the foolish ones who wandered through his forest in the night. They saw nothing but they felt safer wandering around. The fact the evil spirits stayed clear through his constant vigilance caused this effect in the town._

_In fact, he stopped trying to speak. No matter how hard he tried, no one heard him. His warnings and suggestions dissipated along the passing wind. They saw him during times of ignorance of the world but once they grew older their sight left their eyes._

_Staring into the fresh brown eyes of this child, he felt his spirit float. He missed having a discussion with another being. The overwhelming emotion of a response caused tears to prickle the corners of his eyes._

_"Yes." Nowaki's hands trembled, this boy_ saw _him, he_ heard _him. "I'm alright. Thank you. Thank you so much."_

_"You don't look okay. Do you want me to get my grandpa to help you? He has a first aid kit in the kitchen. Maybe even a warm cookie? I think grandma made some earlier to lure me back into the house."_

_Nowaki ignored his questions and got into a crouching position. "What do I look like?"_

_He furrowed his brows. "Well...you have long hair, that tear drop jewel on your head, a red yukata, no sandals," He wrinkled his nose at the sight of no footwear. "Gold bracelets." Tears cascaded down Nowaki's cheeks. "D-Did I say something wrong?"_

_"I lost hope...no one has talked to me in years. No one heard me..."_

_"What are you talking about?" He uttered out. He felt uncomfortable at watching a man cry in front of him. "Are you sure you don't want me to get someone? I can get an adult real fast. My grandparent's house is not too far from here." He took a step back and held his book in front of his body as a shield._

_Nowaki smiled big, he remained still in order to prevent the boy from leaving his side. "I'm sure. I feel so rude, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Nowaki but you can call me Wa-chan."_

_The boy puffed out his chest. "I'm Hiroki Kamijou." He put out his hand, expecting a handshake. "What are you doing out here anyway? You know it's not good to run around barefoot. You can get sick and get a shot from the doctor."_

_Nowaki reached out his hand and it phased through Hiroki's little hand. "Highly unlikely." Hiroki shivered, taking his hand back and holding it to his chest. "You see, I'm not even alive."_

_"Y-You're a ghost?" Hiroki's eyes widened. "Ghosts are not real."  
_

_Nowaki chuckled. "Well, you can see me just fine," He materialized his hand and patted the top of Hiroki's head. "What's your book about?"_

* * *

Nowaki whispered under his breath. "I can't believe this..."

Mitsuki downed her sake and poured herself another serving. _"I'm assuming you expected none of the memories which assaulted your mind? It's good that you didn't faint from the strain of the memories."_ She watched Nowaki pat the top of his own head and ran his fingers through his hair. _"Looking for something?"_

"My necklace it's..." Nowaki sighed, the solid evidence of his mother disappeared. "It's alright. I have the memory clear in my mind. I've grown so attached to the jewelry that I forgot the person it came from. My mother."

Mitsuki nodded her head. _"I see._ " She shuffled her legs into a more comfortable position. _"Tell me...do you miss your old life?"_

Nowaki licked his lips. "I-I'm not sure. Years without the memories have caused the emotional impact to lessen."

_"You were not lonely in your old life correct? This job brings such loneliness that at times it's suffocating. Back then, you were surrounded with countless people that showed you respect."_

Nowaki sipped his sake. "I felt lonely after the death of my mother. My life changed when I got recognized as the son of the lord. I gained a cushioned life but it came with people who despised my existence. Some who were conditioned through a second party, others, knew of the tryst between my parents. A man can take so much before lashing out."

 _"From my spot, you didn't lash out on anyone. Your very presence caused their deaths. They used their own hand or went insane from fearing you."_ She giggled. _"Ah, I have seen people die from the shock. Not all guardians gain their position from a volunteer standpoint. Nasty business. Most of the methods are unnecessary and cause everlasting resentment."_

Nowaki moved his hands and heard the bangles clanging together. "I have a question."

_"Ask it."_

"Why are you asking about my loneliness?"

 _"I can grant you the option to travel back to your former life."_ Nowaki turned his head toward her in disbelief. _"Centuries upon centuries have granted me abilities I never thought possible. How about it? You can return around the time your mother grew ill and find a doctor for her. Your lessons can serve you well to stand against those who oppose you. Many possibilities."_

Nowaki closed his gaping mouth and looked down at his hands. These onslaught of memories clouded his initial answer. He thought on saying no. The knowledge of his past might help tweak his misfortune into his favor. In fact, he might build his own business and gain his own fortune, surpassing his father. Then again, everything might go back to the normal flow of fate.

He didn't want to risk having the same tragedies happen again.

The emotional turmoil of his old life mixed with the content of living alongside Hiroki. He bit the inside of his cheek. He missed the life he held without the memories of his past. A bubble which pushed away the truth about the manner of his death.

"I want to return to Hiroki-san." Nowaki declared with vigor. No hesitation. He wanted to live a life of peace and joy. "I want to live with him. I want to grow old with him. All the things I desired when I was alive."

 _''Ah...Kamijou Hiroki. You want to give up your immortality for him?"_ She arched a brow in astonishment. Her predictions of this young man disappeared from her mind. _"That's a rarity. Just to warn you, not every relationship results in everlasting happiness. Trust me, I've gotten plenty of old guardians wanting their job back but another guardian has taken their place. Hmm...who knows, you two might make it work."_

Nowaki smiled as he placed his hand over his non-existent heart. He relished the idea of feeling it beating underneath his fingertips. "I'm certain we will remain content with each other. I should hurry, I'm sure he's worried about me. He lectured me over leaving him for over a week. How can I call upon you, Mitsuki-sama?"

Mitsuki twirled her finger around a strand of her hair. " _Just call my name, I'm always listening. Remember, you have a few more favors to cash in. You can always take a higher position to stay away from the public."_

Nowaki struggled to get on his feet when he said. "No need. I have made my decision. Is this going to hurt? The transition back into the living isn't easy is it?"

Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders. " _Depends. Some have higher pain tolerances than others. I saw a full grown man collapse before the transformation was completed. Does that sway you away from going back to your beloved?"_

"Not at all. I'm ready."

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.

Chapter 16

Hiroki cut his conversation with Akihiko short. Akihiko chattered about a new novel he worked on but Hiroki's mind drifted away. Not contributing much. He tried hiding his tiredness throughout the phone call but, he had a sneaking suspicion that Akihiko knew all along. Akihiko agreed on ending the call and said nothing to prolong their usual banter. He didn't argue against him and congratulated him again on venturing into the BL genre. This caused him to hang up on Akihiko on the spot. He heard his distinct laughter before the connected dropped.

This distraction helped keep his mind away from the nightly events. Thinking about Nowaki plummeted his stomach. The whole ordeal of the dark apparition produced nightmares and he stayed inside of his home. Hiding himself away from the outside world. Nothing new to people who knew him in his personal life. He preferred staying at home and working on his new ideas. It happened when he still had his job at the university.

When he ran out of food, he called his uncle to help bring in groceries. He provided the money and a list of everything he needed. His excuse of diving into a new project convinced the older man to an extent. He still received questions about his well being but he deflected them. His uncle might call his mother and inform her of his concerns. Knowing his parents, they would drop everything to come see him.

The circles under his eyes became prominent from lack of sleep. During his breaks, he used frozen used tea bags and bagged ice to cover his eyes. An old trick his mother used whenever she showed dark circles or puffiness. Then again, she used make up for concealing any imperfections on her face. Not that she needed much application.

Plugging his phone in its charger, Hiroki placed his attention back to his laptop. The empty word document mocked him. His plans for writing a coherent sentence slipped away with each passing hour. Despite eating lunch, watching a program, and taking multiple breaks, nothing popped into his head. His hands hovered his keyboard and he glared at the screen.

After a minute of doing nothing, he decided on switching to his work email. A new one. The one from Mitsuhashi didn't fit into his new work and he already erased it. Better to shift through his mail for anything new, it didn't take much effort on his part. Aikawa warned him about sending him a message sometime during the week.

His cellphone rang. Breaking the monotonous typing. A familiar bell chime which informed Hiroki of the caller ID. He set it for his mother before he thought about denying the call. Akihiko's constant calls brought him to assign ringtones for his contact list. He grabbed it and set is against his ear.

"Hey mom." Hiroki looked through his emails in boredom, he tried disguising his lack of emotion but he knew it showed through. "Is something going on? You haven't called me in weeks." The sound of him typing on the keyboard broke the silence of his living room.

**"Your name is all cleared. You're off the blacklist of banned professors."**

Hiroki's attention went on high alert, he almost slammed his knee onto his desk. "W-What? How?"

**"Motou handled everything. She has friends in different areas that secured your innocence. They found the evidence pointing at this person as the one who framed you. The young man's family has taken the bargain so their child doesn't have a mar on his record. Much easier for everyone involved."**

Hiroki inspected the outside of his window. "A trial is unnecessary. Such a waste of time when the humiliation of their son's crime is more than enough punishment. What are they going to do?"

**"The parents want their son to kneel and beg your forgiveness."**

Hiroki held back a snort. "It's the least this brat can do to remedy this situation." Fuyumi giggled on the other line. "What's so funny?"

**"Your father said the same thing. The meeting is going to happen tomorrow first thing in the morning. I suggest coming home this afternoon. You know how crowded the trains get during high traffic hours."**

Hiroki grimaced. "Yeah, I remember those packed trains. Just let me pack a bag and I will get on the first bus out of here. I'll bring my work with me."

**"It's such a long way to the train station. I'm sure my brother can give you a ride."**

"I never thought about calling him." Hiroki got on his feet and walked up the stairs. "I'll do that after I hang up. I'm already guessing he will want me to buy him a pack of beer to compensate. Eh, I'll give him money for gas instead."

* * *

Hiroki walked behind his parents through the hallway to Motou's office. She chatted along with them while he observed the office. It remained relatively the same. He remembered accompanying his father there for his usual business. He brought along a big book while he waited for him to finish. The neutral walls and generic photos placed on the walls. The desks showed the most personality out of everything.

Motou opened the door wide open, showing the Kamijou family the large elongated table and scattered chairs. "You can settle yourselves on either side. I suggest the far end of the table. Just to give the Takeshi family leverage in leaving first. I'll have my secretary bring in some drinks while I wait for the Takeshi family."

Soshi tipped his head. "Thank you, Motou-san." Motou walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Fuyumi stretched out her arms. "We arrived too early for this set up. I'm feeling a bit peckish."

"Better early than late." Soshi shuffled three seats out and all of them sat down. "I'd rather not run in here and out of breath. I don't need to make a spectacle of myself."

Hiroki looked at his cellphone. "We have ten minutes to spare."

"We can always discuss your life back home." Fuyumi's eyes twinkled. "My brother told me you have revived the house into its former glory. I'm talking about the interior, I know better than to ask about the outside."

"I just added furniture." Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I guess actually living in it has made it seem less creepy to other people. The people at the market were surprised when they found out I lived in grandfather's place."

Soshi said. "This coming from the one who loved visiting the place as a kid. You love it there."

Hiroki stared down at his quivering hands. "I loved it there."

Five minutes later, Motou knocked on the door. She poked her head inside and told them. "The Takeshi family is here."

"Good, send them in."

Motou opened the door and walked inside with the family following her. The mother came in a modest dress which reached her knees while the father sported a business suit. Both of their gazes showed shame in their son's actions. They sent apologetic looks to Hiroki's parents who nodded their heads.

Jiro Takeshi made his appearance. He gulped when he saw Hiroki in the middle of his parents. Hiroki glanced at him in boredom. His face paled when he caught Soshi glaring at his direction. A fiercer glare than the Demon Kamijou one that people experienced in class. Far worse. Without prompting he went on his knees, bowing his head to avoid staring into their eyes.

The father pushed his son's head down. "Beg for forgivenes! You've shamed this family!"

"Dearest, please. You can't shove him so harshly."

He snapped at his wife, causing her to flinch. "It's your coddling that gave him this complex. I warned you years ago but you didn't listen to me. This is the result of your carelessness. Stand aside and have him regain some honor! Go on boy!"

Fuyumi patted Hiroki's shoulder, he stood firm and watched the student get onto his knees. After numerous students passing through his class, he didn't recognize this particular young man. The students who stuck in his mind either received his wrath or his praise. Either way,

"I'm sorry Professor Kamijou-"

"I'm not a professor anymore." Hiroki interrupted him. "I'm just Kamijou Hiroki."

The parents jaw dropped, glancing down at their son's trembling form. He wailed in repentance, Hiroki and his parents jumped from the intensity. Motou-san stopped herself from rolling her eyes. The mother wiped her teary eyes, realizing the consequences of her son's actions. The father kept his eyes on his son, trying to access the extent of his apology.

"I'm sorry Kamijou-san." He exclaimed, his voice quivered and felt his father's disgusted gaze on his frame. "I-I let my ego get the better of me. All my professors gave me the grade I thought I deserved and you...you lowered my average. I didn't think it would get this far! I thought you would get suspended for a little bit and go back to your job."

"Those types of accusations get people fired or put on work relief. I'm not sure. My father would have fired them and sent them straight to the police." Hiroki rubbed his temples. "Look kid, you did me a favor."

He lifted his head up in disbelief. "W-What are you talking about?"

Hiroki explained. "I have taken on a writing career of my own. I wanted clearing my name to get the stain off my reputation. That's all."

* * *

A wave of nostalgia washed through Hiroki.

He recalled the mornings where he ran through this building to make it to his office. Scalding hot coffee splashing onto his exposed hand while he gripped his bag close to his body. Miyagi saluted him with a tasteless joke which caused him to roll his eyes. His co-workers walked past their shared office and greeted him before they went to their own offices or classrooms.

Standing at his old office door, he noticed the new clutter on his old desk. Well organized clutter. Nothing out of place. Almost robotic where not even a piece of paper was out of place. Akihiko informed him about this professor through gossip coming from his lodger. The kid complained about this guy to the point where he switched into another class. This act saved his grade before it plummeted into the ground.

Releasing a deep breath, Hiroki knocked on the door. "Miyagi."

Miyagi jumped and turned his chair around in shock. "Hiroki! What are you doing here?!" He got off his seat and yanked Hiroki into a tight hug. "And not calling me all this time?! You're so cruel to your old superior. I thought we shared a close relationship."

Hiroki glanced up at Miyagi. "Everything is cleared off my name. I can walk around this campus again but I'm not going back to teaching. Before you go any further, I never changed my cellphone number. It's still the same one I gave you."

Miyagi let go of Hiroki as he said. "Well, you never called to inform me about this whole debacle. We have history together! I had to find out through your mother and her scary looking lawyer."

Hiroki snorted. "She's not that bad. The woman is married with two adopted kids. She just has that intimidating aura to her."

Miyagi ruffled Hiroki's hair. "I'm just happy you're here. Everyone in the department will be glad to hear from you. Tsumori missed you." Hiroki rolled his eyes on hearing about his old rival. "Your mother handed me your book a while back. Congratulations on making it into the publishing business. This means you will never go back to teaching huh?"

"I've grown used to working on my own books than describing them to students. It's a tedious process but I managed to get into the flow of creating my own stories. My old friend's advice worked to my advantage." He pinched Miyagi's cheek in retaliation. "I'm sure my mother told you that I moved to the countryside."

"Yup. I can visit you right?" Miyagi nudged Hiroki's side, adding a pout for effect. "I have weekends off with this new schedule. No teaching on Saturdays or office hours on the weekends. I have plenty of free time to spare this year. Also, you have to make it up to me."

"For what? I don't owe you a thing."

"For leaving me in the dark. I worried about you this whole time you know. We have a lot of things to catch up on." Miyagi wagged his pointer finger. "I'll bring homemade food and drinks. You can even schedule when I can travel to your place. I'm not one to drop in uninvited."

"What makes you think I'll invite you over?" Hiroki inquired.

Miyagi told him. "Because you missed me?"

"Barely." Hiroki drawled with a smirk, he sat down onto Miyagi's rolling chair. "From my reliable source, you're having trouble with this new office mate of yours."

Miyagi groaned, sitting onto his sofa, he exclaimed. "Don't get me started! Do you have any free time?" Hiroki nodded his head. "Good. This is going to take a while and you came at the right time. This guy won't come back for a long time."

* * *

Nowaki sobbed the instant he felt grass underneath his fingertips. The dew which clung on the morning grass transferred onto his hand. The striking pain ebbed away, leaving him into a numb mess. He stared up at the bright blue sky peeking through the branches of the trees. His body felt heavy. Heaviest he'd ever felt in centuries but he loved every second. The utter relief of coming back to the living over weighed the fears.

He survived through the ordeal.

Struggling to sit up, Nowaki cringed at the soreness of his muscles all over his body. He hoped a long warm bath settled the effects. Inspecting his clothing, he noticed his old clothing changed into a different yukata. A dark blue color with flower patterns on the sleeve. His hair cascaded down his shoulders, pooling on the grassy floor. The bangles disappeared from his wrists. Freeing him from the duty of a guardian.

He wiped the tears from his eyes. Letting out hiccups, he tried feeling any of his old powers. Lifting up his hand, he concentrated on his palm. Nothing surged through him. Empty of responsibilities. Freeing his spirit from the shackles of his past. The whispering words of the lingering spirits reached his ears. He saw nothing but he heard them clear as day. A tiny remnant of his power stayed in his subconscious.

Rubbing his face, he thought about his old friend. Wondering about her well being and her safety. Her wound must had healed and she went back to her duties. He forgot the exact day he last saw her. After settling into life, he had to visit her at the borders of the towns. His appearance didn't change much. Except, he wore none of the jewelry or contained an aura of a guardian.

He turned his head into different directions and recognized the area. Hiroki's home resided a distance away from his spot. Mitsuki left him in the best spot for him to make it before dark. He muttered a thank you to her as he struggled onto his knees.

Once he got on his feet, he clutched the tree next to him. His legs trembled from the strain of his weight. He held onto the tree tight. Wishing for the quaking of his limbs to cease.

"You'll be alright. Just start walking. Nothing will happen to you."

Nowaki gulped. "Are you sure?"

"Go right ahead. Trust me."

Nowaki heard the amusement in her tone. "You just want to see me fall flat on my face."

Seconds passed, Nowaki imagined a petulant pout when she responded to him. "Give an old woman something to laugh about. Fine. I'll help you."

* * *

Once Nowaki stepped onto Hiroki's porch, he collapsed in a heap. Groaning out loud as his body sunk from the release of pressure from his current weight. His feet ached. The weightlessness as a spirit came to him as a distant memory of the past. The heaviness of life was something he forgot about throughout his afterlife. He already felt Mitsuki-sama's aura working through his new body. Preparing him for his new lease on life.

He rubbed his aching legs. Applying pressure on certain areas and sighing in bliss. He took in his surrounds with a new perspective. As a guardian, he saw auras and spirits floating through the town. As a human, he saw nothing but the serenity and calmness of the forests. The birds chirped as they flew through the skies. Landing on the porch or the trees. Some of these birds hopped toward him, studying him.

Nowaki reached out his hand and the closest bird flew into the palm of his hand. Chuckling, he rubbed the head of the bird with his pointer finger. More birds jumped onto his shoulders and he tried not to scare them off. Whenever he stayed alone, the animals kept him company. Birds loved resting on him.

A sudden exclamation broke through his thoughts. "I have never seen someone handle birds that well!"

Nowaki turned his head, recognizing Hiroki's uncle. "H-Hello!" A few birds flew off while the one on his hand remained in place, pecking his finger.

"Ha! Didn't meant to scare you." Rikei scratched the back of his head. "I forget how loud I get sometimes."

"It's alright." Nowaki sent him a reassuring smile. "Do you happen to know when Hiroki-san will return? I knocked on the door and received no answer." He hated lying but from the lack of noise, Hiroki didn't reside in the home.

"He left for the city." Rikei rolled his shoulders and rubbed his skin. "Something about settling an issue from his old job. My sister called him early this morning and he asked for a ride to the train station. He won't stay away for long. Did you need him for something?"

Nowaki smiled. "I came to visit for the afternoon. I wanted to surprise him since I have not seen him for a while. He hates surprises but I'm sure he won't be too mad." He lost track of the days and didn't know the exact date. No need to admit that tidbit.

Rikei nodded his head. "He'll be back tomorrow morning." He saw the dirt and scratches on Nowaki's feet. "Did you lose your shoes? Or are you one of those people who like walking barefoot."

"Barefoot." Nowaki answered as he checked his feet. "I tend to forget whenever I walk around."

"Just like my children when they were young." Rikei snickered. "I do the same though. Most of the time, I forget about my shoes and walk out like nothing. My wife still scolds me about it to this day."

Rikei noticed the setting sun, he asked Nowaki. "Do you have a place to sleep? I know the owner of the motel in town."

Nowaki shook his head. "I have a place to rest for the night. I'll leave in a few minutes. I sat here because my legs grew tired from the walk."

Rikei snapped his fingers. "Damn, I forgot to introduce myself. How rude am I? I'm Kanno Rikei. Pleasure to meet you." He stood in front of Nowaki and reached out his hand for a handshake.

Nowaki slipped his hand into Rikei's hard working hand. "I'm Koizumi Nowaki."

* * *

Hiroki jumped onto his bed and relaxed against the fresh sheets. Inhaling the aroma, he hugged his pillow to his chest. The stresses of the day left his body, leaving him boneless on his bed. His comfortable childhood bed. Despite leaving home for university, his parents kept his room exactly as he left it. From his mother's call earlier in the morning, he assumed they cleaned and aired out his room for his use.

Rolling on his side, Hiroki stared outside his window. Cherry blossom trees remained on the premises. He always enjoyed watching the petals fall onto the ground whenever he stayed back home. They puddled into pink patches, breaking through the bright green grass. Sticking onto their clothes whenever they wandered outside. His parents had no plans in cutting it down.

A vast difference from the thick trees surrounding his home. In a way, he missed living back home but he enjoyed his solitude. Away from nosy or rude neighbors. The constant noise of the city. A home without Nowaki visiting him or cutting into his writing time.

Hiroki closed his eyes to stop the tears from forming. Pinching his cheeks, he thought about pleasant topics. No use getting upset. His good name was cleared of all suspicion. He visited his old coworkers who missed him. Their sincerity tugged at his heart strings.

Removing his phone from his pocket, he dialed his uncle's number. He laid back on his pillow and waited for the man to pick up. Once he heard a click, Hiroki let out a deep sigh to decompress.

**"Hey Hiroki!"**

"Uncle Rikei? How's everything in town?" Hiroki gravitated toward his pillow and punched it for softness. "Nothing fishy going on around the house right?"

**"Well...there's a guy who says he knows you. He didn't know you left to the city and ended up waiting at your place. I happened to walk around the area and saw him standing at your front porch. We ended up drinking a beer at the front porch. Don't worry, I cleaned up the mess before I left and went home."**

Hiroki rolled onto his stomach and scoffed. "Who is this person? I don't keep in contact with too many people. Most of them still think I'm away from the city, except my old coworkers who saw me."

**"His name is Koizumi Nowaki? Odd name for a fellow isn't it?"**

Hiroki almost fell from his bed as he processed the news. "Where is he? Is he with you? Did he say where he was staying?!"

**"Whoa, whoa, Hiroki. Calm down. Ha. I thought you didn't know many people nephew? Anyway, I asked if he wanted a place at the old motel but he rejected the offer. The guy told me he had a place to go. I kind of doubt it."**

"What do you mean?"

**"Well...I checked a few minutes ago. He's still sitting at your porch."**

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.

The moment his uncle stopped his car near the trail, Hiroki snatched his overnight bag and bolted out. Disregarding Rikei's questions, he focused on making it through the forest. Dodging low tree branches and roots sprouting out of the ground. Observing the area for any sign of bright red cloth or golden bracelets. Anything to signify the well being of the guardian. Nights passed since he last saw him. The dread of days ago left his shoulders. Utter relief took over and he wanted nothing more to catch a glimpse of that dimpled smile.

Once his talisman tattered home appeared in the distance, Hiroki sped up, almost tripping on his own two feet. He dropped his overnight bag onto the grass to regain his balance. Breaking through the brush, he saw the tall figure of his memories. Nowaki _sat_ on his porch. His long hair trailed behind him, cascading over those broad shoulders. Sections flowed in the air with each gust of wind.

He pinched his forearm through his sleeve. The shot of pain revealed the truth. Nowaki stayed in his line of vision, surrounded with little birds nestling on his arms and his hands. Nowaki's smile grew as the bird in his palm twirled around. Chirping in delight alongside Nowaki's chuckles.

Hiroki stepped forward.

He wondered when Nowaki turned into a fixture in his life. From the eagerness in seeing his smile to hearing his smooth clear voice. His presence brought his heart to rapidly beat. A familiar feeling of comfort submerged him.

Whenever he thought of Nowaki, the stories in his mind flourished. Breaking into different sections, blossoming into paragraphs of the ideas swimming in his mind. Worlds he thought remained in the recesses of his mind back in high school. They flowed through his fingertips as he typed on his laptop. The lack of information of Nowaki's disappearance caused his writing to skid into a halt.

He yearned touching Nowaki's large hand. To interlace their fingers, squeezing each other firm and tight. Embracing longer than mere seconds. Kisses fueling the fires of their hearts. For him, those actions brought a wistful smile. Any other physical actions came second.

Nothing else mattered but Nowaki staying at his side.

"Nowaki." Hiroki made himself known.

Nowaki snapped his head toward Hiroki's direction. His blue eyes wide and sparkling from overwhelming happiness. The birds flew away from him from the introduction of a new voice. Hiroki's footsteps crunched the leaves underneath his feet. Hiroki stumbled on closer, his eyes collecting a wave of tears. He tried holding them back as he hiccuped.

Nowaki struggled onto his feet, a weary smile graced his face. "Hiroki-san...you're here...I." He coughed into his hand, revealing his naked wrists to Hiroki's gaze. No gold bracelets. "Welcome home."

"H-How?" Hiroki felt the tears trickling down his face. "I-I mean..."

"I'm alive." Nowaki answered Hiroki's unasked question. "I'm not a guardian anymore. Another one will take my place and contain my powers. I won't leave in the middle of the night for patrols. Sleeping sounds amazing right now." He patted his solid chest. "Good news. You won't phase through my chest anymore. No more creepy shivers."

Hiroki wiped away the tears from his eyes as he jumped into Nowaki's embrace. Nowaki lost balance, gripping Hiroki tight as they fell back onto the patio. His large frame broke their fall, bringing a grunt out of Nowaki. Hiroki burrowed his face into Nowaki's chest. Letting himself go, Hiroki began sobbing. He touched the physical body of Nowaki, taking precautions not to linger in certain areas.

Nowaki's heart broke at the inconsolable sobs. In his last disappearance, he thought Hiroki forgot about him and moved on. It happened when Hiroki left for his life back in the city. Hiroki worked on his first novel and his focus remained on his work.

Grunting, he sat up, supporting Hiroki's quivering form. He touched Hiroki's face. Caressing his skin and wiping away the tears with tenderness. Hiroki averted staring at him, the embarrassment of his onslaught of his emotions caught up with him. His face burned red.

Hiroki tipped his head down, hiding the puffiness of his eyes and any remaining tears. "You idiot!"

Nowaki told him. "I know...I know."

"How _dare_ you disappear on me again? Who told you to _fight_ that thing? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Hiroki snapped, he wrapped his arms around Nowaki's neck. "I...I couldn't sleep...I kept thinking about that _thing_. "

Nowaki rubbed circles on Hiroki's back. "Protecting this town _was_ my job. Stopping myself from fighting these spirits helped no one." He burrowed his face in the crook of Hiroki's neck, inhaling his aroma. Musk and cinnamon.

Hiroki held onto the back of Nowaki's yukata. "You won't disappear on me again, right?"

"I won't. My chapter as a guardian is over." Nowaki pressed his lips onto Hiroki's forehead.

* * *

Rikei picked up Hiroki's overnight bag, he heaved the strap over his shoulder. Checking around the area, he found nothing else belonging to Hiroki. Resuming his walk, he frowned at the carelessness of Hiroki's actions. His nephew knew better than to throw his possessions around. He hoped it slipped from his hands when he ran through the forest. The out of character impulsiveness drew in his curiosity to question him. Hiroki thought about his actions before he started going along with his plans.

Sighing, he walked down the old trail. The familiarity of his childhood home brought a slight quirk of the lips. He enjoyed going through the same area over and over again. His memories of his life with his family popped into his head. Quaint and positive. Hiroki's move into the family home provided a new reason for visits. A new happier reason. Beforehand, he emptied out the furniture alongside his brothers. A lasting impression where he avoided passing the area for years.

He enjoyed annoying his nephew as well. Hiroki reacted way more to his teasing than his mother ever did. Growing up together, she learned his humor and behavior. Throwing back his words with grace and agility. Knowing her, she taught her son everything about her side of the family in order to survive their taunting. All in good fun.

In the distance, Hiroki and Nowaki fell back onto the porch. He stopped at the end of the trail. Soaking in the scene in front of his eyes. Hiroki showed heartfelt emotions for this man. It seemed Nowaki's significance in Hiroki's life rose higher than the role he placed him. A lower tier of a friend, close to an acquaintance. Nothing close to Akihiko's place as Hiroki's best friend.

Hiroki yelled at Nowaki. Nowaki tried placating him. The panic clear on his face. His panic soothed down into concern. From his distance, he caught vague words but nothing which formed sentences. No informative details. Either way, he leaned against the nearest tree. Straining his ear for anything else. The volume reduced. Nowaki's hand caressed Hiroki's face. Their bodies grew closer and closer.

Rikei cupped his hand, ready to yell for his nephew. The scenario played in his head. Hiroki would turn, mortified at the interruption. He paused. Hiroki's hand curled in the front of Nowaki's yukata. He watched Hiroki pull Nowaki into a deep kiss. A long deep kiss. Their hands wandered around their bodies. Carefree and passionate. Desperate. Needy. All consuming. Nothing interrupted the bubble surrounding them.

Rikei's jaw dropped. He didn't expect on walking into such a scene. Almost like a scene from a dramatic movie or a romance drama. Programming his wife watched on tv whenever they settled in for the night. He scoffed when he saw these gestures while his wife swooned. Backing away, he covered his amused smile with the back of his hand.

The huge reaction from hearing Nowaki's name through their phone call. Hiroki's insistence in returning in the early hours of the morning. Everything came together into this pivotal moment.

No wonder Hiroki ran out of his car.

Shrugging the strap into a comfortable position, Rikei walked away toward his car. He'd heckle his nephew about his boyfriend in a later time. Best to leave them get reacquainted again.

* * *

Sharing a few more longing kisses, Hiroki broke the kiss. His fingers caressed Nowaki's cheek, gliding over the nose and Nowaki's lips. They glanced into each others eyes. A comfortable silence set around them. Their breathing evened out. He stood on his feet, quick on de-tangling himself from Nowaki's arms. Staring down at Nowaki's bruised pink lips, he gulped and his palms started sweating. The urge to kiss him again crept onto him. He stopped himself before he did the action.

He reached out his hand, motioning Nowaki to grab onto his hand. Nowaki gripped his hand while he pulled him up onto his feet. He tried not to stumble from Nowaki's weight. His lack of weight training came through in his cations. He hid his struggle and he patted down Nowaki's yukata for any dirt. Nowaki would fit the current clothing styles real well. He might take him shopping in the morning.

Turning away from Nowaki, he fished out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door. Nowaki wrapped his arms around him. He heard a whispered swear. Nowaki's body trembled against him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." Nowaki stated. His ears flushed with embarrassment due to his weak legs. He thought Lady Mitsuki's powers stopped any trembling before his knees buckled under his weight. "I just...I just wanted to hold you."

Hiroki believed none of his words but let it slide. No use arguing on their first day back together. "Whatever you say." He pushed his door open and made careful steps inside. Taking Nowaki's form into consideration. "What do you think about going to the store and getting some clothes? My clothes won't fit you. I'm smaller in comparison."

Nowaki agreed. "Sure. Once I start working, I will pay you back for the clothes."

"Think of it as a housewarming gift." Hiroki kicked off his shoes, he turned around and faced Nowaki. "Either way, I'm not going to accept any money from you. Don't even try to hand me anything."

Nowaki informed him. "Fine. Don't complain when I start showering you with gifts. I'll start helping you with bills once I gather up a nest of money."

Hiroki patted Nowaki's forearm. "I'll look forward to your progress. I'm sure there's job openings in town. I'll look around when I go grocery shopping. Onto the gift subject...it's in my nature to complain. You're just going to have to get used to it."

"Then, it's in my nature to smother you with affection. You're going to have to get used to it." Nowaki cheekily grinned before enveloping Hiroki into a tight embrace. "I can't wait to sleep with you in my arms. I always dreamed of having my lover sleeping right beside me."

Hiroki's blushed. "W-Well, I don't go to sleep until very late. You're going to grow bored waiting for me."

"I can wait." Nowaki loosened his grip.

Hiroki hurried out of Nowaki's arms and hopped onto the step separating the entrance to the rest of the home. "Yeah right!"

"I stayed in the living room watching movies while you typed. I'm sure I can stay up." Nowaki said.

"You were a spirit. A person needs to rest." Hiroki pointed out. "I'll just bring in my futon during those nights. I know better than to argue with you. You'll go up to our bed once you grow tired of your actions."

"I doubt it." Nowaki put on the slippers on the shoe rack. He wiggled his toes inside of the fluffy interior, loving the warm and comfortable feeling.

"I can't wait to shower and lounge around in my sweat pants." Hiroki remembered his bag and he groaned out loud. " _Fuck._ I dropped my bag in the forest. I left my favorite pair of sweat pants in there."

Nowaki piped up "Did you want me to search for it?"

Hiroki answered. "I thought your finding ability came as an extension from your powers? Besides, you can't look through each inch of the trail to find a bag. You look tired from walking through the door. You have to sit down and rest."

Nowaki said as he pressed his hand against the wall to stay steady. "I can walk just fine."

"Alright then," Hiroki pointed to the stairs. "Walk to the second floor."

Nowaki turned his head toward the wooden stairs. His legs ached from the thought of going through the motions. "What does that prove?"

"It will prove that you have no strength in your legs. It's harder to go up the stairs than going down. There's effort in going up." Hiroki tapped his foot, his slipper slapping against the floor. "What are you waiting for? Get going." A jingle from his phone paused him from saying anything. He took his phone from his pocket and checked his messages.

Nowaki sighed in relief. He made no step toward the stairs. Crouching down, he rubbed his thighs to entice the circulation to enter his legs. He applied pressure on certain areas. Smiling in bliss, he failed to see Hiroki's reddening face once he read his text message.

"H-He knows!"

"Who?"

"My uncle. He knows about us." Hiroki showed Nowaki his phone. "He caught us while he retrieved my bag."

Nowaki read the message and he grinned. "There's nothing bad in the message. He sounds happy about us."

"He's going to use this against me! He's waited years to tease me about something in my life. My relatives are going to join in the fun!" Hiroki rubbed his temples, the reactions of his female ridden cousins would flood his phone.

"They mean well." Nowaki brushed Hiroki's bangs aside and kissed his forehead.

"You have never sat in a room full of women trying to pull information from you. All of them predicted I would stay single for the rest of my life."

"Would they not like me?"

Hiroki scoffed. "They will love you. Don't worry about it."

Nowaki sighed in relief. "Good."

"Whatever. I'm going to grab a drink. I'm thirsty." He left the front door and went toward the kitchen.

Nowaki grabbed a handful of his hair. The sudden weight holding him down made him consider cutting it off but he stopped himself. He loved his long hair. Through his time as a guardian, his powers flowed through, making his hair longer. Even in his past life, he left his hair grow beyond his shoulders. He held it back with a scrap of cloth.

Hiroki returned and noticed Nowaki staring down at his hair. "Something wrong?"

Nowaki whined. "My hair feels too heavy on my head." He let go of his hair, peeking behind him and saw the length of his hair. "I'm surprised your uncle didn't say anything when he saw me yesterday."

Hiroki inquired. "How about a haircut?"

* * *

Hiroki knelt behind Nowaki and began combing his long hair. He started from the bottom half before he traveled up to the top of the head. His fingers threaded through the de-tangled sections. He hit snags through his journey but he combed them away. He never thought Nowaki's hair would feel soft underneath his hand. Each swipe of his comb released blissful sighs from Nowaki's mouth. Nowaki leaned back, his neck strained from keeping it in such a position.

Flicking Nowaki's forehead, Hiroki rolled his eyes at hearing Nowaki's chuckle. Nowaki found amusement through anything. The slight twinge of pain showed Nowaki he did indeed insist. Nowaki sat in front of him. He touched those broad shoulders and his fingers brushed against Nowaki's back.

Hiroki licked his lips, he asked Nowaki. "What did you want me to do?"

"Should we chop all of it off? I'm not sure..." Nowaki blew up at his overgrown fringe. "I'm not up to date in current men's hairstyles. I might make the wrong decision."

"Whatever you want." Hiroki combed Nowaki's hair one more time before setting the comb on the table. He moved the scissors closer to him as he warned Nowaki. "I have to warn you, I'm not the best barber."

Nowaki turned to Hiroki and smiled. "I trust you."

Hiroki sighed. "Don't blame me for the uneven hair. Oh well, you can go with the town hairdresser. She retouched my hair when I first arrived into town. She'll advice on the best style for you."

"Which hairdresser? Aiko-san?" Hiroki murmured in confirmation. "From the rumors in town, all the parents love how she cuts their children's hair. She calms them down and accommodates for the nervous ones. The amount of children who cried has reduced."

"I saw no kids there during my visit." Hiroki scooted closer to Nowaki. "Then again, I went there in the morning on a Sunday. No normal kid is up early on the weekend."

"I thought your mornings started at ten?" Nowaki teased Hiroki, he received a pinch of the arm. "Hey! I'm telling the truth."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean you have to shove it in my face. I stay up late due to bursts of writing inspiration. I'm already thinking about the next novel. Better to get it written down than having gaps in my story."

Nowaki added in. "You told me you stayed up late when grading your students work. Nothing has changed."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'll miss having long hair." Nowaki mused. "In my old life, my hair stopped at the middle of my back. Mother tied it back with a piece of ripped cloth from our old clothes. She loved combing my long hair and I did the same for her. She used this decorated comb." He saw the ingrained floral designs clear in his mind. "She always hid it underneath our home in a box."

Hiroki paused. "You're chickening out?"

"Oh not at all." Nowaki sat up straight and faced ahead. "Just reminiscing about my past life."

Hiroki tied Nowaki's hair into a low ponytail and positioned his scissors at the base. He hesitated, one last inquire left him. "Are you sure? No going back now."

"I'm sure. Go right ahead. Cut away." Nowaki gulped, he cringed at the first snip. He breathed out, using humor to calm his nerves. "I have to get on with the times. No one wears long hair around this area. From the programming I saw, men in this century keep their hair short. Who knows? I might like this new look. It's not like you'll butcher it."

Hiroki set aside the bundle of hair into a trash bag. "I can leave it past your shoulders. This way, you have a chance to pick from a photo at the hairdressers booklet. What do you think?"

"Okay!"

* * *

Hiroki slumped back onto his chair, a groan left his lips. Closing his laptop, he stretched out his legs from underneath the table. He finished a three way Skype call with Isaka and Aikawa. Aikawa chased after Akihiko on his sudden vacation in the middle of another deadline. She connected right after Isaka made his call. They settled on this method since their meeting went on talking about his book. Nothing big enough where his presence was needed in person. The whole conversation wiped him out in the end.

Aikawa raved on his BL novel, she expressed glee on certain scenes in the book. Reciting lines where his ancestor talked to his lover in crucial parts. Hinting at a new installment about another tragic story. Isaka remained patient while adding in his own commentary. His impression of Hiroki went up from the favorable sales and reviews almost matching their best seller Akihiko Usami.

Hearing Nowaki wandering about their home, Hiroki craned his neck to get a better look at him. He smiled light at Nowaki bustling through the rooms. In the last week, Nowaki stood on his feet and wandered throughout the home. He tried pushing himself long enough before he laid onto his back and relaxed. Through slow paces, he started doing chores. Nothing straining on his muscles but enough to strengthen him. His progress was faster than the ones who went into physical therapy.

Nowaki entered the kitchen. His hand covered his mouth as he let out a yawn. He ditched the usual garb he wore for centuries and transitioned into a loose tshirt and jeans. The clothing hugged his figure just enough that he still walked around without restraint. His legs needed room to circulate the blood into his limber legs.

His infectious smile prompted Hiroki to return the sentiment. "So, you're finished with your call?" Hiroki nodded his head. "How did it go?"

Hiroki said. "It went well."

Nowaki asked in eagerness. "What's the verdict on your book?"

"It's done better than I expected. Way better than my first novel." Hiroki fiddled with his cellphone. "Aikawa listed the reviews, some neutral, others praising the tragedy that is my ancestor's love story. The president, Isaka, enjoyed how I divulged the information without going too dramatic. The process of writing the novel left me sort of empty."

"Empty?"

Hiroki explained. "The tone of the novel felt empty. A story of tragic romance shouldn't read monotone in atmosphere and dialogue. I ended up rewriting the whole novel in two weeks in order to make the deadline. I felt this new version did my ancestor justice. My father and grandfather might have flanked me for a shit novel."

Nowaki's eyes widened. "The _whole_ story? Hiroki-san, that's dangerous! Did you even sleep? What about food?"

"I slept for a few hours at a time and ate during my breaks. I'm not that reckless." Hiroki said. "My friend Akihiko cranks out novels in a span of two days or a week. His research takes longer than his writing process. The fastest writing spree was a night before his extended deadline. The idiot procrastinates until the last minute. I'm surprised Aikawa has no white hairs from the stress of managing him."

Nowaki gulped down his drink. "You're not your friend. You'll collapse from mimicking his work routine. His recklessness will come bite him later on in life."

Hiroki said. "I've told him the same shit for years. He won't listen. I think a stint in the hospital will change his mind. His stubbornness might prevent an overhaul of a change. His lodger does keep him well fed. He used to order out food every single day." He reached out his hand Nowaki automatically interlaced their fingers. "Any ideas for a job?"

"Handy work?" Nowaki suggested. "I remember using my hands before I lived the life of the wealthy. I fixed the one room home I lived in and helped out the people in town."

"Homes in this time differ from your time period." Hiroki pointed out. "The tools are not the same either."

Nowaki said. "I know. I'm sure someone in town can give me on the job experience. If not, I can work in any of the stores in town. I saw the current employers and most of them are good with their employees."

Hiroki stared down at their joined hands. "My uncle knows everyone in this town. I have to give him credit, he knows how to befriend anyone. I can barely made friends with my old coworkers. Anyway, I'm sure he can find someone to help you. I know he'd love to get to know you."

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: Hiroki never expected to get fired from his job and asking his father to help clear his name. Before he moved to the countryside, Akihiko suggested to become an author for extra income. Aikawa loved his work, which solidified his new status. Hiroki uses the scenery of his new home to inspire his novels. One autumn night, a new visitor enters his life, changing it for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all now completed! Oh goodness. Thank you all so much for the kudos, comments and support. I have more Junjou Egoist on my list of works and I hope you enjoy them.

Nowaki settled into his new human life through Hiroki's guidance. His previous knowledge of future technology helped him. Protecting and accompanying the children of the town gave him a number of insight. The children chattered to the best of their abilities whenever he pointed to an appliance. Their excitement prompted him to enter establishments and watching the people work. A lack of sight gave him the invisibility for this task. Hence, Hiroki's lessons strayed into describing the intricate details of anything he asked.

They settled into their old routine before his battle. His new physical body held him back from his old method of going through walls. Now, he opened doors and walked through them. He forgot about it once and hit the wall. Causing a loud bout of laughter to burst from Hiroki. He caught him when he passed the living room with a basket of laundry in his arms. His pout earned him a tender kiss on his nose before Hiroki patted his chest.

Lady Mitsuki's involvement solidified his recovery. She implemented the strength and energy for him to use for his disposal. To guide him through the tough moments. Paperwork of his existence and a fake high school diploma appeared one morning. Nowaki whispered his thanks to the passing wind, knowing his voice traveled to her ears. Her warm voice trailed into his mind. Expressing her delight at his recovery and relationship with _his_ Hiroki Kamijou.

He informed Hiroki about the deity who saved his life. Hiroki listened. Never interrupting him until he finished. Hiroki's faith in entities stretched farther than he expected. He believed him without question. Then again, Hiroki befriended a spirit as a child. The ignorance of a child fueled his intent in keeping their friendship strong. The attempts of shielding Hiroki from the reality of his job were for his own benefit.

Children ran away from what scared them.

On one of their errand days, Hiroki handed him a list and a wallet of money before shooing him away. Ceasing the opportunity, Nowaki noted down a few containers full of diced watermelon. The new summer heat brought in a fresh assortment of season fruits. Hiroki hinted at cutting open a watermelon on the patio and eating it underneath the shade of the trees. He might haul over a watermelon on another occasion.

Nowaki's new plush tennis shoes cushioned the impact of the roads on his journey into town. His new perspective boosted the beauty of the forest trail. The weather favored tipped into the warmer spectrum, not enough to overheat him. He crossed through the town, holding back the instinct to wave at the children.

He thought his eyes betrayed him when he laid eyes on his old friend. Her endless hair cut into a bob ending underneath her ears. She wore normal clothing from the current times. A simple shirt and a knee length skirt. She waved at him when they connected gazes. Almost skipping to his side, she seemed happier than the last time he saw her.

"Y-You-"

"Let's walk near the tree over there. People might listen in to our conversation." She suggested.

Nowaki nodded his head as he followed her away from eavesdroppers. They stood near the tree she pointed out to him. "Please, explain what happened to you. Last time I saw you, you were injured because of that _thing._ "

She fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. "Once I recovered, I decided on using my wish to gain human life. I remembered my family owned a farm and I returned when I gained my strength. She scrambled their brains to believe I was the daughter of a distant aunt coming back into town. I have all my papers and no one can question me."

Nowaki smiled. "I'm happy to hear you have settled into your life. In all honesty, I'm still getting used to my body. You seem a lot stronger than me."

She winked. "It's a good thing I'm so petite. I gained back my strength faster. Although, I think pushing myself into helping out the farm benefited me. Lady Mitsuki's involvement gave me the building blocks instead of struggling to walk."

Nowaki laughed. "I understand the feeling. I got the distinct feeling she wanted me to fall flat on my face."

She snorted. "I guessed as much. I imagined her pout from my discovery." She put out her hand as she introduced herself. "I'm Haruno Miki." She shook his hand and then unzipped her purse to grab her cellphone. "Here let me give you my number so we can keep on talking."

"Good to know your name at last. I'm Koizumi Nowaki." Miki readied her phone in her hands. "I have to admit, I haven't bought a cellphone yet." Nowaki scratched his cheek with his hand. "I can give you the number of the landline. Just wait until the end of the week and I'll have one."

"Sure!" Nowaki recited the number and she typed it down. "I'm thrilled to have someone other than family to have a conversation with. At the very least, we can share stories about our...previous employment." They shared conspiring smirks. "Tell your lover boy I said hello."

"I will."

* * *

Nowaki finished his quick shower feeling refreshed and relaxed. The weather throughout the summer brought him back home more tired then usual. The hospitality of the people he visited helped him. He suspected his energy roused a feeling of trust in the adults. None of them suspected anything off about him. Some of their children stared at him, long and hard. Trying to decipher his sudden appearance. He waved at them, a patient and gentle smile to calm them down. They ran off to play once hearing his voice.

It helped that Rikei recommended his services to gain a reputation. He found himself getting along with the townspeople. Most of them. A few didn't take a liking to a stranger coming into their town. He expected some of these reactions but it still stung. Sorting through the ones who passed on and those who lived, he remembered their interests and connected through those means.

The older people have stopped him before and nodded their heads in understanding. Patting his hand and thanking him. This stumped him, he thought no one recognized him outside of the garb and shorter hair. The children heard nothing but saw him through their rose colored eyes. No current descendant saw guardians anymore. He guessed wrong.

Throughout his quests through town, he kept an eye out for the new guardian in charge. No one surfaced. Voices of the dead still filtered through his ear. His vision saw the transparent figures of the recently deceased.

Putting on his t-shirt, he left to prepare his usual bag for his job in the other room. He forgot packing his work bag due to helping Hiroki refurnish their dining room chairs. They discovered loose bolts and added padding to cushion their seats. A vast improvement to the plain wooden chairs Hirokii bought when he first moved in.

Nowaki returned in time to catch Hiroki kicking off the blankets from his legs. Hiroki sprawled out his limbs and took out the space on the bed. He still remained asleep throughout his actions. Nowaki bit his cheek to chase away his laughter.

Nowaki crouched down and brushed his lips against Hiroki's chapped ones. "Good morning, Hiroki-san." Hiroki's hands gripped onto his shirt, he tried not to burst into laughter.

Hiroki dragged an amused Nowaki on top of him. "Where are you going?"

Nowaki kissed him before he said. "Preparing some breakfast before leaving to fix your uncle's roof. Remember? He asked me before he left for work in the afternoon." Hiroki wrapped his arms around Nowaki's body, keeping him from moving from his spot. "You won't see me for half the day."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes as he muttered. "You never leave early in the morning."

"Hiroki-san, it's nine in the morning. It's not early." Nowaki snickered from the glare he received. "I'll come back for lunch."

"Bullshit. You say this every single day and you're late." Hiroki murmured. "Stay in bed. He'll understand if you're late."

"I'd love to. I want to stay here with you. You're so cute when you're half asleep. You cuddle more with me." Nowaki started to say as Hiroki ran his fingers through his hair. "Although, I want to finish my work and leave my afternoon open. Giving the impression that one job is more important than the other isn't a good image."

Hiroki released him with a huff. "Fine. Bring back some snacks on your way back please."

"Sure thing." Nowaki lifted himself up from the bed before kissing his forehead. "I'll leave your breakfast in a plastic container on the counter." Hiroki grunted as he burrowed his face into his pillow.

This scene happened more times than Nowaki counted on his fingers.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Miyagi collapsed onto Hiroki's porch. Shaking his bag from his shoulder, he ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. He fanned his face with his hand and gulped in air. After walking down the main trail toward Hiroki's home, the summer heat got to him. His older age showed through his winded form. He imagined Hiroki's smug smirk from witnessing him in such a weak state. Hiroki brought up his age whenever he teased him during their time together at their job.

He gave out a breathless chuckle. Life in his office turned into a bore. Despite Hiroki's cleared name, everyone continued on keeping a tighter grip of privacy. Tsumori brought on the entertainment during their smoke breaks. Bringing life into his tense office. His office mate brought down the atmosphere whenever he appeared. Their department chipped in to help the guy but he disregarded their concerns.

He thanked Shinobu for bringing up the low ratings to Dean Takatsuki. Their concerns went on deaf ears after all. His actions brought a meeting where his office mate was forced to change his teaching methods. Stopping the larger complaints from students and lowering the stress in his life.

Once he recovered his breath, he stumbled back onto his feet. He snatched up his bag before he forgot about it. Gripping his bag tight, he walked over to the front door and pressed the doorbell. He resumed fanning his face and struggled in standing.

The door opened and Miyagi readied himself in telling a joke. It played through his mind. He opened his mouth. Hiroki found his humor tasteless but he saw the inkling of a smile. He swore on seeing the amusement in Hiroki's face. Hiroki's denial didn't process in his mind. He knew Hiroki enjoyed his company and his so-called bad jokes.

He uttered a confused sound at the unrecognizable person in front of him. Standing there, he tried not to show the discomfort on his face. "Oh, hello." Miyagi stared up at the giant, he tried peeking around to check inside of the home. "Uh...I'm looking for Kamijou Hiroki. Am I at the right place?"

"You're at the right house. He's inside the living room." Nowaki grinned, he yelled over his shoulder. "Hiro-san! Your friend is here!" He addressed Miyagi as he moved aside from the entrance. "Come inside Miyagi-san, we have some ice cold tea. The weather has been unbearable. Where are my manners? I'm Koizumi Nowaki."

"Miyagi Yoh, well, I suspect you already knew that." Miyagi's defenses went down at Nowaki's gentle presence. Walking inside, he shuffled out of his shoes and set them on the shoe rack. "I didn't know Hiroki talked about me."

Nowaki pushed back his bangs with the back of his hand. "He told me a few stories. Nothing too descriptive." He told Miyagi. "You might catch me later today. I'm going to help fix the shed of a farmer on the other side of town."

Miyagi nodded his head. "That's too bad. I had some particular stories about Hiroki to tell you in his presence. His reactions are a sight to behold."

"Good thing he's leaving before hears your drivel." Hiroki drawled, Nowaki and Miyagi turned to the entrance of the living room. "Nowaki, should I prepare an extra set of lunch or no?"

Nowaki shook his head. "I'm sure Kojima-san will offer me lunch during my break. I might come back with a bag of rice this time." He went toward Hiroki and guided him into his arms for a soft embrace. "Thanks for offering though."

Hiroki coughed into his hand. "Hurry along, I'm sure you don't want to arrive late."

Nowaki leaned down and kissed Hiroki's forehead. "I'll call you when I get there." He walked away from Hiroki and passed Miyagi to grab his shoes. "It was a pleasure meeting you Miyagi-san."

"Nice meeting you too." Miyagi grinned.

The moment Nowaki collected himself and left the house, Hiroki addressed Miyagi. "Don't you dare comment on what you just saw."

Miyagi put his hands up in surrender. "I won't. It's good to see you have someone here looking after you. He seems reliable."

Hiroki said. "I'm not useless. He's the one getting the hang of life around this area." He waved toward the living room. "Go sit down. I'll grab something for you to drink from the fridge."

"Got it." Miyagi entered the room and settled on the plush couch. He dumped his bag on the floor and observed the contents of the room.

Hiroki returned quick with two glasses of iced tea in each hand. "Here." He set the glasses onto the table before he sat down.

"Thanks!" Miyagi lifted the cup to his lips and gulped down half the liquid. He smacked his lips. "This is delicious."

Hiroki moved his bowl of watermelon closer to himself. "I'm sure you have questions. Ask away. I might not answer all of them though."

"How long have you known Koizumi-san? What does he do for a living?"

"A long time." Hiroki refrained any more information of the exact date. "He's a handyman in this town. Gets along with everyone. No one here has anything bad to say about him."

"I'm sure he has plenty of admirers." Miyagi sipped his iced tea, quenching his parched throat.

Hiroki narrowed his eyes, "Nowaki made sure to express his disinterest." He munched on a piece of chilled watermelon. "He already has someone."

"I wouldn't have known about your boyfriend without this visit." Miyagi wiggled his eyebrows, Hiroki glared at him. "What? You never tell me anything. The way he looked at you and kissed your forehead told me enough. You confirmed it with your cute glare."

"You'll spread my business when you return to Mitsuhashi. Why do you think no one ever tells you anything?"

"I'm not the gossip. That's Tsumori!"

"Oh yeah..." Hiroki gulped down some tea. "You better not tell him _anything_."

* * *

Miyagi left half an hour before Nowaki returned home. Hiroki resumed tinkering with his new story idea on scraps of paper. Papers he added into a folder he checked whenever he forgot an aspect of the story. Once he finished, he started adding the information on a new word document. Readying himself for labeling the files for the proper notes for the meat of the story. He created the main character and the supporting cast.

In the middle of his typing, he heard the front door open. Nowaki's voice traveled into the room, perking Hiroki up from his hunched position. Lifting himself up from the floor, he stepped out of the living room. Hiroki relaxed at the sight of Nowaki's disheveled form. Sweat permeated his brow from the hard labor of the morning. A sight to behold.

Nowaki bee lined to him, arms stretched wide, a gentle smile graced his face. He kissed Hiroki and held him close to his chest. His hands rested on his lower back and wandered no lower. Hiroki didn't push him away. In fact, Hiroki placed his cheek against his chest. This little quirk the day after their reunion. Hiroki listened to his breathing and heartbeat. Holding onto him far longer than expected of him.

Nowaki whispered into his ear. "I'm not disappearing. I'm alive. Don't worry."

Hiroki patted Nowaki's back, his voice muffled. "Double checking." He looked up at Nowaki before pinching his cheek. "I made progress this afternoon. Big progress."

"That's great!" Nowaki cradled Hiroki's hand before kissing his palm. "You struggled for the last week on the conflict of the story. Does this mean you're taking a break for the afternoon?"

Hiroki said. "Yes. I made some cold noodles for us to eat. This hot weather is shit."

"Good to know, I'm starving." Nowaki bounced on his feet before letting Hiroki go and wandering into the kitchen.

Hiroki shook his head in amusement before returning into the living room. Nowaki reappeared with a bowl and two chilled drinks in the other hand. He set them onto the table before rubbing his sore muscles.

"Want to hear the rest of my ideas? I added some new aspects which might interest you." Hiroki plopped himself down onto the sofa, hearing a confirmation, he explained his story in earnest.

Nowaki sat across from him. Facing him, intent on listening the new improvements to the story. Hiding his smile, he recognized the main characters. Fictional characters based on their own experiences. Similar yet different. Keeping it to himself, he mused on Hiroki adding their own personalities into his own work.

He wished for those characters the best ending and a long fulfilling life.

The end.


End file.
